Payment systems for irrigation water in Romania

Abstract

The necessity of regulations concerning payment of irrigation water appeared at the time when the irrigation areas passed of half million hectares in the second half of 60s (20 century). The main judicial act was Ministers Council Order No.1279/1967, according to that act were established the following kinds of taxes and tariffs: 18 lei/1000 m3 of delivered water; a charge depending of the crops 138 lei / hectare for field cultures, 195 lei / hectare for vegetables and 814 lei / hectare for rice. That for management and maintenance of the substructure of the irrigation systems. For the maintenance of the substructures of inner-equipped area the agricultural units paid between 87 lei / hectare and 294 lei / hectare depending of the type of irrigation systems and socioeconomic kind of farm, state or cooperative farm. In all the cases the taxes and tariffs did not covered actual costs of the Services delivered by the state so that all these Services was subsidized in a proportion of 70-75%. After 1991 in the market economy systems there remains only 1 tariff by 1000 m3 of water, but depending on the pumping height step by step, and the tariff must cover integral the costs of all Services. But the subsidy did not completely disappear.