In spite of incessant complaints on the inefficiency of the National Water Corporation, SNEC, many Kumba denizens continue to decry its services.

The services, they say, is characterised by faulty bills, wrong meter readings and extortion. Many of the corporation's clients have clashed with it over non-payment of bills.Recently, SNEC issued bills on April 11 and stated that the latest date of payment was April 13.

Although the corporation allows for a ten-day period for payment, its workers went ahead to collect FCFA 4,700 as fine for those who defaulted after the two-day limit.When The Post visited SNEC, it found several customers who had gone to pay their bills being asked to pay penalties.

After the customers resisted, the Chief of Centre, Besong Ngem, collected the bills and changed the latest date of payment to April 20, thereby scrapping off the penalties.

One embittered client, Gladys Safor, told The Post that she has refused to pay SNEC bills since October 2007due to poor metre reading.

According to her, in 2007, her metre reading showed that she had consumed 62 units, but SNEC served her a bill indicating 92 units.Safor is just one of the many who have complained about similar situations.

A SNEC worker, who preferred not to be named, told The Post that wrong metre readings and sometimes exorbitant bills could be attributed to their faulty computers, by giving wrong readings.The Chief of Centre was not available to comment on the issue.