NWC’s $33B debt includes $21B in unpaid GCT liabilities owed to Gov’t

October 20, 2026

The National Water Commission has indicated that 21 of its $33 billion debt is related to General Consumption Tax (GCT) liabilities owed to the Government.

Chief Financial Officer Fabian Christie made the revelation when questioned on the debt during a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee this morning.

The debt, which was detailed in an Auditor General report, reached an estimated $33.2 billion by March 2026.

It’s reportedly an accumulation of unpaid bills to suppliers and severe liquidity and collection challenges.

The report revealed that this caused issues for capital spending and project prioritisation.

According to the report, although NWC’s income improved from a loss of $5.7 billion in 2019/2020 to a profit of $0.2 billion in 2023/2024, this did not translate into stronger liquidity.

It noted that payables also continued to rise.

It rose from $10.6 billion in 2016/2017 to $33.2 billion in 2025/2026.

Mr. Christie noted that the net improvements of $4.6 billion is not an indication of the cash that is required to satisfy NWC’s payables and financial obligations.

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He noted that with majority of the debt owed to the Government, there is need for a tariff increase. 

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