Angela Onwuzoo
The Association of Table Waters Producers has urged the federal and state governments to address the high cost of pure water production and not allow the price of pure water to increase to N100 per sachet.
The producers warned that an increase in the price of a pure water sachet would lead to an outbreak of waterborne diseases in the country.
According to the association, the government should give attention to pure water production so that Nigerians can afford it.
According to the water producers, the poor should be able to afford a sachet of pure water in Nigeria, adding that pure water is the most common thing the masses should be able to afford and have at their disposal.
ATWAP, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to establish a special water production and supply intervention fund for the water industry.
The association further said the fund, which would serve as a palliative measure to cushion the impacts of the fuel subsidy removal on the pure water business, should be provided for its members at a single-digit interest rate.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday, ATWAP President, Mrs Clementina Ativie, said the government should look deeply into how sachet water production could be sustained for the players to be able to continue to supply Nigerians pure water at a subsidised price.
She noted that the reduction of waterborne diseases due to the emergence of packaged water should not and never be ignored.
Ativie said, “We have been trying our best to make sure that pure water gets to the doorstep of every Nigerian. But the truth now is for how long can we continue to subsidise the price at which pure water is supposed to be sold?
“The price of petroleum products is being subsidised by the government. But when it comes to the price of water, we are the ones that bear the loss at all times and that is the fear and pain that we have now.
“The masses should show understanding with us and then the government should also look into pure water production because water is the most important aspect of human life and existence that we should not ignore.
“I don’t see how a sachet of pure water should be sold for N50 and it’s even going up to N100 if care is not taken.”
The ATWAP president said there was nothing the producer could do about the rising price of pure water sachet citing the high cost of production.
“For how long are we going to be subsidising the price? But the truth of the matter is that pure water is going for N100 a sachet because of the high cost of production.
“How many Nigerians can afford this price? The government should look into it. The government should not allow Nigerians to buy a sachet of pure water for N100. It should be sold for N20. We are currently buying a litre of diesel for N1,700.
“We don’t need to allow sachet water to leave the system. If you allow people to start tying water in nylon as we experienced in the past before the emergency of sachet water, there would be massive outbreaks of waterborne diseases”, she lamented.
Ativie pointed out that as a result of the high cost of production materials, many pure water producers have been struggling to survive.
“We understand the importance of maintaining a steady and reasonable pricing for our products. We equally understand that the market is ever-changing, and that adjustment may be inevitable at a time.
“However, the inconsistency in price, increase of our packaging materials, and the frequency it occurs, especially by nylon manufacturers have caused us great economic strain.
“As you all know, nylon is the only packaging material for sachet water, definitely we have no choice but to use these materials at whatever cost being presented by nylon producers. As a result of this, we have been struggling to survive,” she said.
Ativie also raised the alarm that amid the economic woes in the country, over 16 government agencies from federal, state, and local governments impose one levy or the other on sachet water producers.
She added, “Our greatest worry is that no government or its agencies have ever remembered us for any sort of palliatives nor financial consideration and support to enhance our business since the government alone can’t shoulder the responsibility of providing potable water for her large population.
“Instead we are faced with multiple taxation and extortion, overlapping functions of different regulatory agencies, thus, turning us into cash cows.
“As of today, we can confidently count as many as 16 government agencies from federal, state, and local government imposing one levy or the other on water producers who are largely small-scale enterprises that produce sachet water.
“We have so many criminals parading water factories, claiming to be working under regulatory agencies and extorting unsuspecting members.”
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