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Infrastruktura - Środowisko - Energia
Dodatek promocyjno-reklamowy do "RZECZPOSPOLITEJ".
20 marca 2007 r.
po polsku
Changes in the water-supply-sewerage branch in Poland
Aquanet in the strict front ranks
 Already since several years Aquanet S.A. (joint stock company) belongs to strict front ranks of firms from the water-supply-sewerage branch
in Poland. What is essential, Aquanet is a communal company with 100% of Polish
capital, and stockholders are 10 communes, herein the City Poznań. The basic subject
of the company's activity includes providing of services from the range of
collective water supply and collective sewage disposal. Nowadays over 750
thousand of inhabitants of Wielkopolska are customers of our company.
However there would be nothing to write
home about in the fact, that such a firm as ours provides mentioned above services,
and all that at minding its high standard and quality, with care for the
customer, realizes ecological investments, that is to say it performs simply one
of basic tasks of commune. It would be, but for the fact, that the water-supply-sewerage
branch undergoes transformations and directions of these changes dictate western
firms. To keep pace with them, Polish water-supply companies must begin to exceed
usual limits and stereotypes and to seek for themselves for new possibilities
on the market. And please believe me it is possible, and my firm is its best
example.
Since 2004 Aquanet consistently leads works
connected with the realization of the capital strategy targeting enlargement of
the firm's territorial range and building of a modern, strong subject, liable to
rival efficiently with western water-supply firms.
The territorial development has been realized
in two manners. First of them consists in the consolidation of the local market
in the way of increasing of the company's stockholder group by following
adjoining communes. These communes carry in to Aquanet a water-supply-sewerage
fortune, and we begin on their ground complex activities connected with
collective water supply and collective sewage disposal, establishing high
standards of providing of services and conducting a variety of investments. The
second manner, in my opinion decidedly more developmental, are capital
investments taking different form. From classical, when Aquanet becomes a joint
owner of the water-supply firm in a way of purchasing of shares or stocks in
the initial capital of such company, to strongly promoted, especially by western
firms, so called operator system, that is to say so really a contract on the
management with the water-supply-sewerage infrastructure on the ground of the example
commune. In case of these manners of development the activity of Aquanet runs
out also outside of the area of Wielkopolska.
A model example of a capital investment conducted
by Aquanet is a firm from the same branch in the commune Ostroróg (voivodship Wielkopolska,
district Szamotuły). In the year 2005 Aquanet became a joint owner of the
water-supply company which works in a commune tens kilometres distant from Poznań and not adjacent to the water-supply- sewerage system of the agglomeration of Poznań. It was for us an advance giving measurable experiences. Negotiations lasted long,
but we managed to convince in principle all, that it is proper. First of all the
commune and the company in Ostroróg gained over an experienced, strategic
partner, realizing by own endeavour and at own cost agreed upon investments.
Such partner as Aquanet is also certainty and stability for the development of
the water-supply-sewerage system basing on the latest technologies. Because 150
years of tradition ennobles, but also obligates. The fact, that Aquanet is a Polish
and public firm gives a guarantee of a full transparency of activities
undertaken along with the commune, what is basic in communicating with units of
the territorial autonomy. Aquanet however gained over a new market for providing
of trade services. We gained also following experiences and knowledge, which will
prosper in next projects. This investment is our well learned lesson which
showed all, that a partner of the commune in its water-supply company can be
other communal water-supply company.
It is necessary to state, that these are
in Poland still precursor activities, especially when it depends on its leading
by a Polish water-supply firm, what is Aquanet. However analysing European
tendencies, as well as ongoings on the native market, among other things within
the range of legislation for the branch, it seems, that the direction connected
with the consolidation of smaller water-supply-sewerage centres with the bigger
ones is inescapable. Every water-supply firm, large or small, is susceptible on
price changes of steel, fuels, energy and sensitive on an unstable tax situation.
Growing environmental requirements or the progress within the range of the
technology of water and sewage purification equally refers to these great ones,
and these very little ones. The distribution of these problems on a greater
number of subjects collected round one large centre or on a greater population
is more profitable from the economic point of view and more effective from the
organizational side, as constant cost of activities led by water-supply firms
are similar, important is only the scale, on which it is spread. And taking
advantage of the effect of the scale is essential both for water-supply firms,
as well as, and perhaps first of all, for the whole state. This is all the more
important, when in the nearest years it stays for dispensing tens milliards euro
from Union funds.
I hope, that this "pill" of all
that, what already happens in our branch, will interest you. If it comes to be
so, for details please visit our Internet site: www.aquanet.pl
Katarzyna Świergosz
Director of Strategic
Development and Organization Department
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