The price of Sachet water has increased effective Monday, October 31st, 2022, a press release by the National Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Producers (NASPAWAP) said.
The association explains that the increment is due to the continuous increase in input costs due to the “free fall of the Ghana cedi against the major international currencies.”
The Ghana Plastic Manufacturers Association (GPMA) released new prices of plastic films and preforms used in sachet and bottled water packaging. On the 24th October, 2022, ton of sachet film was increased from GH¢25, 000.00 to GH¢36, 000.00 representing a 44% rise, same on preforms”.
“Diesel fuel price is about GH¢20.00 per litre at the pumps as at Wednesday 26th October. This means producers’ working capital has dwindled by about 45% within seven days since the NEC issued the distress call to the government,” parts of the statement read.
In the Upper East Region, while the single sachet of water would be retailed between between 0.40 peswas and 0.50 peswas, the bag would be sold at Ghc8 per bag by the producer and from Ghc9 for retailers.
This, according to the Public Affairs Manager of the Water Producer Association, Humul Khusum Tahiru, is because of the Association’s recognition of the financial situation in the region.
Madam Tahiru however insisted that the producers can no longer continue to bear the increasing prices of products used to produce water.
She spoke to Mark Smith on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show today, Monday, October 31, 2022.
“You would appreciate the fact that everything has gone up and so what we need as sachet water producers has gone up. Our main products that we use to produce the water is the roll, the packing bags and the raw material is water. Some producers use water from the Ghana Water Company Limited and we all know that utility tariffs have gone up. Some people use boreholes and borehole water has to be treated. You would need electricity to do that. Electricity tariffs have gone up.”
“It has become necessary for us to increase our prices. We do not take delight in increasing our prices because we know how essential water is and for us, we believe that everyone should be drinking enough water in a day. Anytime it gets to this time when we have to increase our prices, it becomes a problem for us but you see, we also need to increase our prices so that we can produce quality water for people to drink,” she said.
The new prices are expected to take effect tomorrow. Madam Khusum Tahiru appealed to consumers to bear with the water producers.
“The national association is calling for Ghc10 a bag but we have compromised and agreed that we just have to compromise looking at our terrain here. That would mean tha buying at the shops would go for Ghc9 and a sachet of water would go for either 0.40 or 0.50 peswas.”
“I want to use this opportunity to plead with our consumers that we know how difficult times are. We know how difficult it is to come by money today but it is just necessary that we increase our prices,” she said.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
