Sachet water may sell for N100, producers warn

The Association for Table Water Producers (ATWAP) has decried the increases in the prices of packaging materials and multiple taxation on table and sachet water producers in the country, saying the situation might lead to total collapse of availability and affordability of sachet water in the country.

This was stated by the National President, ATWAP, Dr. Clementina Ativie, at a press conference held in Lagos, warning that sachet water popularly known as ‘pure water’ may soon sell for N100 per one.

According to her, the association has been excluded from all forms of government interventions, palliatives and support to enhance the water production business; instead they are being faced with multiple taxations and overlapping functions of different regulatory bodies.

Ativie stated further that though the market is ever-changing, the inconsistency in price increase of packaging materials and the frequency it occurs, especially by nylon manufacturers, poses an economic strain on water producers.

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She said, “Sachet water started with N5 per sachet. Now it is moving to N50 per sachet, if not N100.

“As at last December, we were buying materials for N1,100 per kg and a ton gives you N1.1 million. That same kg of nylon is now N3,600 leading to N3.7 million. This increase in the price of materials can come as many as three times a week.

“With the way things are going, Water might increase to N100 per sachet and we don’t want that. We don’t want Nigerians to buy water for more than N20 per sachet. People might resort to tying water in nylon which will resurrect the emergence of water-borne diseases that we have dealt with a long time ago.”

Ativie also stated that the regulatory bodies should work with the association in checking unwholesome water production in the country.

She said unidentified people moved from factory to factory disguised as regulatory agencies, extorting water production companies with different types of taxation.

“NAFDAC should carry the association along so that we can know the genuine from the fake. ATWAP is in the 36 states of the federation including the FCT. As of now, 99% of regulatory agencies that visit us are fake. They come with branded vehicles, agents, and ID cards. However, when we verified, we found that they were fake.