A price of sachet water is expected to shoot up to 30 pesewas by June following the 9% increase in petroleum prices, the association in charge of sachet water production has served notice.
‘Pure water’ currently sells at 20p and 10p in certain parts of rural Ghana.
According to the president of the Sachet and Packaged Water Producers Association Magnus Nunoo, the incessant power supply which has resulted in high production cost has also contributed to the imminent increment.
“Obviously price changes don’t come comfortably to the consumer and moreover everybody falls within that bracket. It’s unfortunate, the burden for consumers will go up but as I speak to you now, a few weeks back, I conveyed the product from my factory to the consumer at a cheaper cost than I am doing now because the price of fuel has gone up. The mileage I cover will be the same but the price of fuel has changed. By inference, the cost of distribution has also gone up and this must reflect in the cost of the product,” Nunoo told Accra-based TV3.
He added: “It is not our making; it is the economic conditions of the day that is dictating what we are expected to do. We are sorry the consumer may have to tighten up a little bit and bear with us. We are better off recovering and breaking even than collapsing. It’s unfortunate and that’s why we will not push too hard because we also consume and our families consume as well so we are concerned.”
Last year February, the price of sachet water was increased by nearly 50 percent. By that increase, consumers were to pay 15 pesewas for a single sachet but that automatically become 20pesewas because of the limited circulation of the 5pesewas coin.
Last year’s increase among other economic indicators, was also as a result of a 10% environmental tax on plastics introduced by Parliament in 2013.
Credit: starrfmonline.com
