The price of sachet water is to sell at 60 pesewas, effective Monday, 31 October 2022, the National Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Producers (NASPAWAP) has said in a statement.
The product has been selling at 50 pesewas per sachet since 19 September 2022.
NASPAWAP also recommended that ice bottled water 500ml be retailed at GHC2.50p, and iced bottled water, 750ml or medium size, be retailed at GHC3.50p while a 1.5L bottle be retailed at GHC5.00
“It is recommended that Iced bottled water, 500ml be retailed at GHC2.50, and iced bottle water 750ml or medium size bottled water be retailed at GHC3.50, iced bottle water the 1.5L be retailed at GHC5.00,” the statement said.
NASPAWAP also indicated that “a bag of sachet water (500ml x 30 sachets) will now sell at GHC10.00 from the retail trucks as ex truck price. However, in the open market, consumers may expect to purchase a bag of sachet water between GHC12.00 and GHC15.00 depending on the shop location.”
The association also noted that the retail price of a bag of sachet water and packs of bottled water from mini shops will be determined by various retail associations highly dependent on other determinants such as rent and overheads.
The group has attributed the rise in the price of the product to the rising cost of raw materials, fuel, and the depreciating cedi.
“On the 24 October, a ton of sachet film was increased from GHC25,000.00 to GHC36,000.00 representing a 44% rise, same on preforms. Diesel fuel price is about GHC20.00 per litre at the pumps as of Wednesday (26 October).
“This means producers’ working capital had dwindled by about 45% within 7 days since the NEC issued the distress call to the government. As a result, most packaged water producers are currently unable to purchase materials to the expected levels while others are not operating as they cannot afford the losses of 45% on their working capital.”
To ensure consistency across the country, the association urged all regional associations to refer to the reviews. It did, however, warn of the possibility of minor variations across regions and towns due to haulage to remote and distant areas.
The group urged consumers to bear with the new adjustment while they continue to seek government intervention to reduce some of the industry’s taxes.
Source: asaaseradio.com