The Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP) in Niger said on Friday that it had increased the price of sachet water from N80 to N100 per bag.
Malam Abdulwaheed Abdulkadir, Chairman of the association, disclosed this in an interview in Minna.
Abdulkadir said that the increase was done to match the current economic reality as regards increase in the cost of production material.
“You do business to make profit and also set money aside to sustain the factory. The increase was overdue for two years now but because we don’t want consumers to complain we suspended it.’’
The chairman said that the association analysed the country’s economy and balanced the equation in such a way that it would not cause hardship to the public.
“We are aware that in some states our members have been selling a bag of sachet water containing 20 sachets for N120 before now.’’
He decried a situation where some members of the association in the state were still selling a bag of sachet water for N80, thereby sabotaging the association.
Abdulkadir said that the association was looking into the issue and would come up with a solution soon.
He explained that the association was not taking advantage of members of the public as widely rumoured.
Mrs Janet Garba, who sells the commodity in Minna said she bought a bag of 20 sachets for N100 and sold at N10 per sachet. (NAN)