Delta State Government has reminded table water producers that they do not enjoy monopoly of water and should take needless advantage of their customers by arbitrary increasing the price of their products. Members of the Association of Table Water producers ( ATWAP) since last weekend, commenced an intermittent strike action to push for increase in prices of sachet and table water, especially in Oshimili South Local Government Area and its environs. At the weekend, the strike extended to ATWA members in Oshimili North Local Government Area and its environs but the development triggered scarcity of water and subsequent increase in prices of various liters of product. Reacting to the development, the State Commissioner for Water Resources Development, Mr Isaac Wilkie, said that the hike was not Justifiable because the ministry was not aware of any extra investment in sachet water Production, other than the normal untreated bore hole water which unsuspecting members of the public assumed to be pure, adding that the state government would soon rehabilitate all broken down water schemes in the state, assuring that Governor Sheriff Francis Oborewori’s administration remained a promise keeper and would ensuring the availability of portable water to the people in no distant time. On quality control, the Commission said that the relevant departments and agencies were in place in the ministry to test for the quality of water from privately sunk bore holes , pointing out that the safety Water for public consumption remained a priority for the ministry. Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Association of Sachet and Table Water producers of Nigeria, Asaba Chapter, Mrs Ijeoma poop has confirmed that the price of a set of ten bags of sachet water had increased from N2.500 to N3.500 due to the hike in the pump price of petroleum products especially petrol and diesel. Mrs popo who called for the intervention of government to save the producers from going out of business and ensure that members of the public had clean and safe water to drink, said that the prevailing economic situation in the County had forced some of the producers to close shop, disclosing that the current price could either be reviewed upward or downard depending on the exchange rate of the dollar which she said was a major factor in the production of sachet and table water
ATWAP sources that increase in the price of water was due to increase in material as the cost of sachet rolls has increased from N600,00 to N2000 per kg sachet package bags from N3500 to N12,000 per bundle, cost of Diesel now N1250 per liter cost of parts of delivery trucks is unbearable and demand by production staff for increase in salary due to high cost of living
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