The Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP) says it has increased the price of a bag of sachet water from N150 to N200 with immediate effect due to rising production costs.

The association zonal chairman for Oye-Ekiti and Ikole-Ekiti, Tale Oguntoyinbo, announced this in a statement in Oye -Ekiti on Friday.

Mr Oguntoyinbo said the price increment was to help producers bring quality portable water to the door steps of consumers, something that remains impossible with the current cost of materials for water production.

“Water is important to everybody and water is life, the cost of maintenance, and production costs keep going up everyday.

“In order to satisfy our numerous customers and ensure they have drinkable water on their table, the only option open to us is to increase the price from the current N150 to N200.”

The chairman noted that the decision to increase the price was not easy, but alleged that government had done nothing to assist water producers in alleviating regulating cost of materials.

He said that most cities where nylon and other materials for water were being produced with regular electricity, were selling between N200 and N250 per bag.

Mr Oguntoyinbo lamented that water producers, especially in Oye-Ekiti and Ikole-Ekiti axis of the state, could not improve the condition of their factories or afford to buy a new vehicle because of paucity of fund.

He, however, appealed to their numerous customers to bear with the association in view of the present economic crisis in Nigeria, praying for better times ahead.

(NAN)