Plebiscite in Sante Fe, Argentina Demands Exit of Suez!

The Provincial Assembly on the Right to Water gathered on Saturday, November 2, 2002 in the city of Rosario with representatives present from the different localities affected by the privatization of Aguas Provinciales de Santa Fe S.A. (APSF S.A.) to declare the following:
Whereas humanity has come to realize in recent decades that potable freshwater is a scarce resource, seriously affected by indiscriminate use, waste, and pollution for which industrialized countries carry special responsibility.

Whereas Latin America possesses formidable water resources relative to a small population, this has identified it to the transnational water companies as an especially lucrative zone not only for the exploitation of water services but also for future water exports.

Whereas the administration of the water and sanitation companies in our country has been passed from the municipal to the national sphere during the 20th century, only to be decentralized during the military dictatorship, and eventually to be privatized during the decade of the 1990s.

Whereas the World Bank, the IMF, and the WTO promote the privatization of water and sanitation services, it is only slightly more than 5% of the world population that has privatized services, primarily in the developing countries, while in North America, Europe and Japan the majority of consumers receive services from public water utilities.

Whereas the sale to private transnational corporations has not resolved the problem of service or product quality, or the problem of lack of universal access, or the need for network extension and metering service as promised in the contracts, or the need for rehabilitation of old networks, or the promised tariff reductions as evidenced by the fact that at all of the privatized water utilities consumer water bills have increased, interest on overdue bills has increased, and the cost of new connection to the service has increased.

Whereas the water utility Aguas Provinciales de Santa Fe S.A. (APSF S.A.), subsidiary of Suez Lyonnaise des Eax, currently known as Ondeo-Suez, with a captive market of users, and without paying any taxes, and with a contract favorable to its interests, has continued a policy of non-compliance with the contract through constant renegotiations, has raised our water bills, over-billed consumers, charged inflated rates of interest, cut the service of pensioners, the unemployed, even schools and systematically broken contractual obligations to increase water pressure, extend sewers, improve quality, install meters, new wells, improve water mains, etc.
Whereas the entity that awarded the contract and the institution of budgetary and regulatory control, ENRESS, were accomplices in the predatory contract, and in the mechanisms of successive non-compliance and permanent renegotiation, not only validating the increases in consumer bills, but also extending the deadline for the delivery of a deficient product, and granting pardons for contractual non-compliance, and for the fines owed.

Voting for the referendum
Whereas during the seven years of privatization conflicts began in the 15 cities where services are offered by APSF S.A. due to high levels of toxicity, high infrastructure charges, unjustifiable costs for the treatment of wastewater, floods, inflated interest rates, cut-offs, reductions in services, work poorly done or incomplete work, conflicts over payment plans, lack of accountability to consumers and municipal authorities, backlog in the assignment and implementation of social cases, tariff increases, legal disputes, and seizures of property.

Whereas during the 7 days, from September 25 to October 1, a provincial plebiscite was held on the right to water in an unreported experience of citizen participation with 1000 polling stations and 7000 volunteers in 15 cities and in different neighborhoods, members of local organizations, neighborhood assemblies, small businesses, schools, unions, consumer associations, ecologists, students, professors, political parties, community centers, retirements centers and human rights centers.

Whereas 255,463 votes were obtained in favor of the proposal to rescind the contract for repeated non-compliance by the water utility and to initiate a new model of public and social management with citizen participation, defending water as a common good and a human right and against the squandering and pollution of the river basin. Participating in the vote were 256,236 citizens, 21% of the eligible electorate, and 42% of the bill-paying costumers of the water utility.

Taking into account the preceding considerations, the Provincial Assembly on the Right to Water resolves:

To denounce the legal agreement signed by APSF S.A. and the provincial government on October 29, 2002 in which a protective shield continues to be extended to the water company‚ non-compliance with the contract. ‚The water company‚ obligation to fulfill the goals and objectives stated in the contract is suspended.” This confirms the worst suspicions that, we, the consumers had from the moment Mr. Eduardo Gaggiamo, an ex-employee of the water company, became secretary of public services.

To continue the massive campaign to educate and inform people and institutions especially in the schools and in coordination with the leadership of the union, AMSAFE.
To continue the work of the Legal and Technical Commission which is scheduled to meet at the end of November with professionals in each province to undertake the following thematic tasks:

–A detailed technical description of the company‚ non-compliance.

–The unconstitutionality of Articles of Laws 11.220 and 11.665.

–Legal recourses to impose the clause that makes the contract void for non-compliance.

–Deepen contacts with universities and cooperatives in the sector.

To repudiate the complicit silence of some of the largest communications media with regard to the plebiscite — in contrast to the attitude of journalists and the alternative media.
To plan the boycott campaign against the company.–Signs, banners and pamphlets in each neighborhood and city.–Evaluate the different varieties of a No Payment campaign.–Carpet the door of the governor‚ house and the offices of APSF S.A. with the plebiscite votes. –Organize information tables in front of APSF S.A. in each city.

Thank all of the organizations and individuals, national and international, who supported the plebiscite and demanded that Governor Carlos Alberto Reutemann respect its results.
Improve the internal and external communications of the Provincial Assembly on the Right to Water including a network of communication within the province, a data base with all the communications media in the province, the publication of a monthly bulletin, both written and electronic, a web page, and a single location for the legal and technical materials.