Indiscriminate hike in sachet water price unacceptable – FCCPC

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has described the increase in the price of sachet water as unacceptable.

The commission’s acting Executive Vice-Chairman, Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, stated this at an event to commemorate the 2024 World Consumer Rights Day in Abuja on Friday, with the theme, ‘Fair and Responsible Al for Consumers.’

Abdullahi noted that the increase in the price of sachet water by various associations is unacceptable and unfair to the consumers.

The Association of Table Waters Producers of Nigeria announced that sachet water popularly called pure water could be sold for N100 each, citing high production material costs.

Members of the association lamented that they face challenges such as the high cost of diesel, lack of power as well as high cost of production, emphasising that the price of water sales reflects the situation of the country.

Abdullahi, however, said there was no reason for the increase in the price of sachet water because most of the producers already had their machines.

”Yes, power, fuel, price of nylon had increased, but that cannot explain the cause for the astronomical rise in price.

”What we have discovered is that most products now have associations, even the sachet water producers.

”When you have your eggs that you brought from your farm to sell at Wuse market, the association of egg sellers will tell you that you have to sell to them at cheaper rates, while they resell to consumers at higher prices.

”This has now resulted in emergence of `cartels’ and cartels, anywhere in world, are not acceptable,” he stated.

The acting FCCPC boss added, ”Our Act is against price fixing and it is not acceptable to us. We will find out these cartels and do something about their activities.

”The Consumers International joined the efforts that gave us the inkling of how prices have rolled in Nigeria in the last three months and it is so surprising and unacceptable.

”It is simply the issue of cartel and we have to break in, find out what is going on and dissolve such cartels.”

He, however, added that it’s the consumers that will “lodge the complaint to us before we go and find out.”