By Philip Nwosu
Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP) has called on the Federal Government for assistance to enable its members ensure that the product is affordable and available to ordinary Nigerians.
The association said unless the government comes to their aid and assists them, there is the likelihood that many water producing companies may close down, throwing over 600,000 persons into the job market.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos, the National President of the ATWAP, Mrs. Clementina Ativie, said apart from shutting down operation which would result in job losses, the price of sachet water, commonly called “pure water” may eventually be sold for as high as N100.
She said that the economic realities of Nigeria today has placed heavy burden on ATWAP, adding that “We are pained and constrained today to tell Nigerians and the government that, we have reached a breaking point and therefore need government intervention, as well as the understanding and cooperation of Nigerians at this critical time to avoid total collapse of the availability and affordability of sachet water for Nigerians.
“Our greatest worry is that no government or its agencies have ever remembered us for any sort of palliative nor financial consideration and support to enhance our business since the government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of providing portable 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 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 than to use these materials at whatever cost being presented by nylon producers. As a result of this, we have been struggling to survive.
“Those who depend on our value chain for survival and means of their livelihood are enormous. We have well above 1 million employees in our facilities across the country and 80 percent of our employees are unemployable youths who have a very thin line between being gainfully occupied with genuine means of livelihood or becoming criminals and a burden to society. We employ this class of people in our factories, pay them, keep them busy during the day and by night, during which time they would be tired to indulge in any act inimical to the society. It will interest you to know that, those who depend on the sales and distribution of water in all the nooks and cranny of this country as a source of livelihood and those who depend on this class of people in our society cannot be quantified. The reduction of waterborne disease due to the emergence of packaged water should not and never be ignored.”