More Commercial Water producing companies are making entry into the Ghanaian market at a rapid rate. Both newly overseas and indigenous brands have attested to the good prospects of the packaged water business as being a compelling force of Ghana’s economic growth in recent times.
Greater Accra alone is estimated to have a little over 3000 registered drinking water companies. Out of this number, it is recorded by the National Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Producers as of 2015 that the industry employs over 2 million Ghanaians just in Accra either officially or unofficially.
The influx of various sachet and bottled drinking water products on the market has for decades been vast. Aside creating jobs for numerous Ghanaians, the industry has managed to see a consistent boom while experiencing an ongoing healthy competition among top brands.
Throughout the years, pipe borne water provided by Ghana Water Company Limited has not been the preferred choice for the many Ghanaians since their services do not reach the entire landscape of the nation. In addition, questions have also been often raised over safe conditions during production process.
Over time, drinking water producing companies have made good use of the general public’s unfavorable reaction with the intake of pipe borne water supplied by the GWCL.
Some of the top brands that have stood the test of time includes Voltic Mineral Water, Mobile Water, Standard Water, Bel Aqua Water, Everpure, Aqua Fill Mineral Water, among many others.
In recent times, other top brands have invaded the sector contributing immensely to the economy. They also include Neny Ice Drinking Water, Awake Drinking Water, Special Ice Mineral water, Ice Drop just to name a few.
Production of packaged water has greatly lifted a huge weight off the shoulders of government. That is, the provision of employment for numerous Ghanaians who would have otherwise been unemployed, with its unacceptable repercussions that would have come along with it.
The positive effect of the thriving state of the industry for companies is enormous. The public subdivision of Ghana’s economy is said to employ between 800,000 and a million people with the Package Water industry playing a key role with its 13.5% employment of the labor force in Ghana.
Forecasters have projected that the number of jobs created in the drinking water industry is likely to exceed to four million in just a few years since more brands are considering Ghana ahead of other countries. This is making more people move into this rather lucrative industry for employment.
Taking into consideration the large number of entries these new brands are making into the industry, it is reasonable to think the figures projected by expects could be underrated.
The immense benefits derived from the profitable advancement of the commercial water industry far supersedes the growth of the economy. Concerning health, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Ghana found out that “Packaged water is much safer and serves as an identified cure to child diarrhea”
Packaged water in Ghana comes in different forms such as the most basic sachet, bottled and dispenser-refills which is mostly the preferred choice for corporate institutions across the country.
With regards to the entry of several brands into the country, a challenge for the industry continues to be the high levy government requires from home based companies.
According to local manufacturers, taxes on local commercial water producers are not the same as imported brands.
In a statement made by Country Manager of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Mr Kwamina Amoasi-Andoh, he affirmed that packaged water producers from Ghana are playing important roles in facilitating more job creation in the country. As such, it’s only right for government to demand equal charges as with foreign brands if not lower.
Aside the huge taxes levied on local brands, the level of disorder at which drinking water containers are often disposed in the country is an eyesore and is still a pending problem for the country.
Over the years drinking water containers have been numbered to be the majority of waste substances gathered regularly in Ghana. Many streets in Accra are covered with heavy filth characterized by sachet rubbers and plastic bottled materials of packaged water companies.
Although packaged water production has largely boosted the economy, the inability to permanently deal with waste containers somewhat overshadows the good image its relishes.
With the level of success Packaged Water companies have had within the past decades, it’s unacceptable that the challenge of putting adequate mechanisms in place to recycle use content container materials still exist.
In retrospect, Ghana tried a restriction on plastic containers as a way of curbing the plastic waste challenge it continually faces but the ban did not yield any profitable results.
Commercial water producers greatly rely on plastic materials in the packaging and branding aspects of their produce. As such, an injunction on plastic containers has a huge tendency of hindering production and creating more unemployment issues at a wider scale.
Lately, efforts are far advanced in dealing with Ghana’s plastic waste challenge. Last year, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding among eight of Ghana’s leading manufacturers, to promote plastic waste recycling took place.
The theme which was ‘Ghana Recycling Initiative by Private Enterprises’ (GRIPE), whose focus was to help ensure that plastic waste is managed in a sustainable way saw the attendance of officials from Voltic Ghana Limited, Coca-Cola , Unilever, Nestle Ghana, Fan Milk Limited among others.
The primary goal was to create awareness and galvanizing efforts of major companies as part of formulating and implementing initiatives for managing plastic wastes in an effective manner, toward making Ghana the cleanest country in Africa by 2020.
Most home-grown companies are looking to expand their market by extending their products and services to other countries.
Overall, Ghana’s commercial water production is significantly leading the way in spearheading the agenda of encouraging and patronizing made in Ghana goods and services.
Gabriel Odonkor
