Finally, they explain that, "in disagreement, the company will proceed to act as a withholding agent by once again including these fees in the bills, which means an 8% increase for all users in the municipality of Quilmes starting August 14."
The company's president denounced a clear example of revenue-driven greed by the Kirchnerist municipality
Finally, they explain that, "in disagreement, the company will proceed to act as a withholding agent by once again including these fees in the bills, which means an 8% increase for all users in the municipality of Quilmes starting August 14."
Amid the controversy over hidden fees within utility bills received by residents, the president of Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos (AySA), Alejo Maxit, publicly denounced what he defined as "a clear example of revenue greed" on the part of the municipal administration led by ultra-Kirchnerist mayor Mayra Mendoza.
According to Maxit on his social media, the Government of Javier Milei, through the Ministry of Economy, decided some time ago that municipal fees could not be charged within public utility bills, with the aim of providing greater transparency and avoiding hidden surcharges.
However, in the case of Quilmes, the reaction was contrary to the spirit of the regulation. Not only were taxes increased, but the municipality benefited from a court ruling to reinstate the hidden fees eliminated by Milei's Government.
In an official statement, AySA denounced the situation: "In response to the loss of revenue, in January 2025 the Municipality increased the value of the Security and Hygiene Fee (TSH) that AySA must pay by almost 100%. This way, a special minimum was imposed for public utilities (electricity, gas, and water) and the rate was raised from 1.30% to 1.60%, which doubled the monthly amount from $74.1 million to $140.4 million."
"Additionally, in June 2025, the Quilmes Municipality, based on various regulatory provisions and against the claims of AySA and the National Secretariat of Industry and Commerce, imposed the reinstatement of municipal fees," the document adds.
On his social media, the president of AySA also criticized that "mayor Mayra Mendoza not only raised another tax that AySA pays to avoid losing revenue, but now the 'Justice' system granted her an injunction to once again include the fees that the Nation had eliminated."
The result, Maxit warned, is that Quilmes users end up receiving higher water bills, despite the Kirchnerist narrative that defends water as an "essential right." "They talk endlessly about water being a right, that it should be free, but they do not hesitate to load it with taxes to finance their political coffers," the official criticized.
The Minister of Economy, Luis "Toto" Caputo, supported Maxit's complaint through his social media, stating: "More examples. Obviously in a Kirchnerist Municipality. Excellent job by Alejo Maxit in exposing it."
This situation reignites the controversy over the use of utility bills as a tool for municipal revenue collection, a practice that is harshly criticized by Milei's Government and Argentines for being considered opaque and regressive, since it directly impacts residents' wallets, who often do not even know what they are paying for.