Some residents of Port Harcourt, Rivers State have expressed concerns over the proposed increase in the price of sachet water popularly known as pure water. It follows the report by the association of Table Water Producers of Nigeria that sachet water will increase to N100 per sachet. For the association cited high disel cost, lack of power and expensive production as reasons for the proposed increase. Some of the residents in an interview with our reporter, lamented on the fact that water is a known basic liquid that one can actually take to quench thirst, stating that no matter how high cost of materials would be, 100 is still too much. They however call on the government to address the issues, especially the problem of in adequate power supply.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the Water Producer Association of Nigeria (WAPAN) Egberi Mackson Odiri in an interview with our reporter attributed the hike of the product to the arbitrary increase in the prices of raw materials. He explained that the dollar rate has seriously affected them as all their materials used for production are all imported.
Mr Mackson however blamed retailers for the continues increase in the prices of sachet water in the State. He explained that the association is not in support of any further price increases and he urge residents not to expect such hikes. He said the price of sachet water as at Monday the 12th of February was N250 per bag but the retailers are selling at a higher prices just to make money more than the people who produces water, and at the end of the day, the producers are the ones receiving the knock while the retailers are the ones doing the damages.
The chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the Water Producer Association of Nigeria, Egberi Mackson also revealed that it was on Tuesday that they increased it to N300 per bag. He said the retailers are the ones reaping the consumers off and not the producers. Mr. Mackson also called on the State Government to establish a price regulatory board to prevent retailers from exploiting consumers, and appeal to retailers to maintain the standard of N20 per water sachet to ensure that the public continues to have access to quality water despite the challenges faced by producers.
