Peru’s president Dina Boluarte denied that the government was seeking to privatise the drinking water service and said that her administration’s initiatives were aimed at providing a quality system for citizens. She stated:
«I want to take this opportunity to reiterate to the country, strongly and clearly: water will not be privatised! During my government, neither water nor the water and sanitation service will be privatised; on the contrary, we are trying to make this service more efficient and fairer.»
The President highlighted the approval of the law on universal access to water as an achievement that will close the gap in basic services. In her message to the nation on 28 July, Dina Boluarte pledged to carry out actions to provide access to basic services for the most vulnerable Peruvians. These works will benefit 391,000 people in urban areas and 119,000 citizens in rural areas, helping to reduce social inequalities.
Through the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Sanitation (MVCS), the government has ensured that by the end of 2023, nearly 600,000 Peruvians will have access to drinking water for the first time and 700,000 will have access to sanitation.
National drinking water coverage increased to 90.7%, while national sanitation coverage increased to 78.5%. The government completed 297 new drinking water and sanitation works during this period.
