It is no gainsaying of the fact that the recent hike in price of petroleum liquid per litre from Le25 to Le30 has a trickle down and/or compound effect to all prices of basic commodities in the country. From bag of rice to a bag of flours, sugar, onions, and down to a bundle of sachet water among all other commodities have witnessed a price increment as a result of the fuel hike.
Before the price increase of fuel, 1 packet of sachet water was sold at NLe5 and the bundle was sold at around NLe6 from the manufacturers to retailers who in turn sell to the final consumers at around Nle7.
When the price of petrol jumped up from Le25 to Le30, the water companies decided to slightly increase the bundle of sachet water from NLe6 to NLe7 to the retailers who in turn sell to the final consumers at NLe9.
This price increase, according to water companies, is as a result of the increase in price of fuel not to talk about the price for materials used for producing the water. “The production materials used for the water have increased and fuel price has also followed suit and this has caused us to increase the price of bundle water to match the current trend”, they revealed, adding that as a business people, their desire is to make profit and it is through that profit they are paying their workers, paying water bills and run the business in an effective and efficient manner.
“if we do not make profit, how do you expect us to pay our workers and run the business”, water factories owners asked, and called on Government to do the needful.
Condemning the price increase of bundle of sachet water, the water regulatory commission has in a press release said that the increment is illegal and warned owners of sachet waters companies to desist from selling above the required price. “We have received the application but we cannot approve any document without any supporting document data, so we have sent it back to them”, the EEWRC Director of Economic regulation said, noting that their role is to seek the interest of the consumers.
Since they have warned owners of water companies to desist from selling bundle of sachet water above the required price and insisted of punishment for defaulters, the price of sachet water has still remained at exorbitant price despite several warnings given to water factories owners.
Meanwhile, this hike in price of sachet water has caused more sufferings to the ordinary SierraLeoneans and has led them to revert to drinking unpreserved water because they can’t afford to buy sachet water in an exorbitant price especially when things are difficult in the country.
