Dutch MPs demand ban on drinking water profits

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MPs demand ban on drinking water profits
11 October 2006

AMSTERDAM — The three largest parties in the Dutch Parliament are calling for a ban on the dividends paid to shareholders of waterworks companies.

The demand comes after research conducted by newspaper 'De Volkskrant' indicated on Tuesday that drinking water is unnecessarily expensive.

A large number of consumers are forced to pay extra for their drinking water because waterworks companies have to pay dividends to shareholders. Customers of non-profit driven waterworks companies pay less.

Despite the discrepancies in price, dissatisfied customers cannot switch to another company because waterworks firms hold regional monopolies.

http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=1&story_id=33643