Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, has been commended for her role in reversing a planned price increase for sachet water, keeping the prices unchanged for consumers across the country.
This positive outcome follows a crunch meeting held at the Ministry of Trade in Accra, where key stakeholders, including the Ghana Plastic Manufacturers Association and the National Association of Sachet Water and Packaged Water Producers (NASPAWAP), gathered to address pricing concerns.
Earlier, NASPAWAP had announced an increase in the price of sachet water.
However, after intervention from Minister Ofosu-Adjare, the parties involved reached a consensus to revert to the previous price, a move that is expected to provide relief to the millions of Ghanaians who depend on sachet water as a basic necessity.
Mr. Magnus Nunoo, President of NASPAWAP, expressed his gratitude toward the Hon. Minister, and described the resolution of the price retained as “historic.” He also lauded President John Dramani Mahama for appointing Ofosu-Adjare at a time when her leadership was crucial. “She worked for it and got it,” Nunoo remarked. “She has put smiles on the faces of all of us.
The President has such good material.”
In his address, Mr. Ebo Botwe, President of the Ghana Plastic Manufacturers Association, emphasized the importance of sachet water for nearly 37 million Ghanaians.
He added that their association had agreed to absorb the impact of global price fluctuations in order to keep local prices stable, hoping that the unchanged rates would benefit both producers and consumers.
Minister Ofosu-Adjare acknowledged the support of both associations, particularly Mr. Botwe, for their willingness to collaborate in keeping prices steady. She noted that Ghana’s economy had shown remarkable stability in recent months, which allowed industries to cushion consumers. “The gains made in the last 14 months are now being passed on to Ghanaians,” she said.
The Minister further emphasized that under President Mahama’s leadership, the government is committed to creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
She also praised the Polimes Group for their role in supporting the retention of the sachet water prices.
Concluding her remarks, Hon. Ofosu-Adjare reiterated, “Sachet water sellers, retailers, and wholesalers’ prices remain the same.”
The meeting, which was attended by representatives from various sectors, including government agencies like the Ghana Standards Authority and the Ghana Revenue Authority, addressed not only pricing concerns but also the overall state of the sachet water industry.
