By Mabinty M. Kamara
The Sierra Leone Electricity & Water Regulatory Commission has ordered the producers of sachet water to desist forthwith from selling at any new price. It follows recent increase in the prices of the liquid in Freetown some by almost 40%.
The sudden increase in price has also affected other parts of the country like Kenema.
Brima Bah, Director of Economic Regulations at the Sierra Leone Electricity and Water Regulation Commission said in a briefing with journalists that the sudden price increase was not approved by the commission as mandated by law.
However, he said they had a meeting with the producers where they channelled their concerns about the increase in the prices of their raw materials, but that they advised them to put their concerns in writing which would be looked into but they did not.
He said they held another meeting with them yesterday, together with other stakeholders including the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade and Industry and agreed to use the two-week period to engage the suppliers to see if they could have an understanding.
He said the commission was going to monitor the prices in the market to ensure compliance.
A bundle of sachet water on wholesale was until the 18th January sold in Freetown at Le 3,000 while at retail was Le 3,500. However the wholesalers now sell at Le 4,000 leaving the end users at the mercy of the retailers who sell at much higher prices.
Sachet and bottled water is a major source of drinking water for homes and offices across Freetown and other cities and big towns across Sierra Leone largely due to the lack safe drinking water sources.
Although many have questioned the purity and the sanitary conditions of the environments in which some of the water is produced, sachet water remains a major source of drinking for many who can’t afford to get the bottled ones which tend to be produced with more care and under hygienic conditions.
Umu Hawa Jalloh trades in a small shop at Berwick Street in Freetown. Narrating her experience over the few days, she told Politico that she was shocked when the suppliers came on Monday and said the price had increased by Le1, 000.
“I didn’t buy it because I thought it was too much, so they left. Another company came again with the same new price. The shock could not allow me to buy water that day since I had some in reserve,” she said.
She said she later checked with her colleagues in other shops to confirm but at that time they were already selling at increased prices. “It was a challenge because I needed to add my capital from what had been budgeted for to meet the new price,” she said.
Politico met Saidu Koroma trying to secure some bundles of water at the new rate prior to the commission’s order. But he was not bordered at all about the situation because “that is always expected”.
He went on: “My only fear now is that they do not try to hide it. This is also very common. But to say I’m surprised at the sudden increase, No,” he said.
Alpha Bundu, a salesman on the delivery truck of G. Fresh Water Company declined commenting on the issue saying only that the production costs had become very expensive.
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