Ghanaians are set to brace themselves for a possible 50% increase in the price of 500ml sachet water, following the announcement by the National Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Producers (NASPAWAP) that prices will rise, effective Monday, April 6.

The trade association, in a formal statement issued on Thursday, April 2 and signed by the Director of Corporate Affairs, NASPAWA, mentioned that the escalating Middle East tensions have influenced the hike.

“The National Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Producers (NASPAWAP) regrets to announce an upward revision of the ex-factory and ex-truck prices of sachet water, effective Monday, April 6, 2026. These are recommended price reviews by the national body”, parts of the statement said.

Adding that, “this decision follows the global shortage of polymers and the sharp increase in their prices, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in Iran. The rising costs have significantly impacted production, making it challenging for manufacturers to maintain current prices”.

The new prices are as follows: “Ex-factory price: GH¢8 per bag of 500ml x 30 sachets, Ex-truck price: GH¢10 per bag of 500ml x 30 sachets, Maximum retail price: GH¢15 per bag of 500ml x 30 sachets”

“This adjustment is necessary to sustain production and ensure the continuous supply of safe drinking water,” the association added.Consequently, they urged “retailers and consumers to adhere to these prices to ensure fair trade practices. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this challenging time”.

Last sachet water price increase

The last price increase in sachet water occurred about 4 years ago, i.e., in September 2022. NASPAWAP announced a price adjustment, raising the retail price of a bag of sachet water to around GHC 7–8, citing rising fuel and raw material costs.

However, before the September increase, the retail price of a bag of sachet water in Ghana was generally around GHC 5–6, indicating that the price had seen about 33% to 40% increase.

Barely a year later, another increase was announced by the association in April 2023, attributing the hike to continued cedi depreciation and higher polymer costs.

This shot the prices to GHC 10 per bag of 30 sachets of 500ml.

What is polymer, why is it affecting influencing pricing of sachet water in Ghana?

Polymer is a plastic used to package water into sachets because they are strong, lightweight, and water-resistant. It is an essential material in the production processes, as without it, there will be no packaging; hence, if the prices of the material go up, producers increase the commodity prices to make up for it as they experinece high production costs.

These plastics are often made from petroleum-based chemicals and are essential for packaging because they are strong, lightweight,.

Meanwhile, not only has the Middle East crisis affected the price of sachet water, but Ghana also currently faces the risk of high economic pressures. Consequently, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr Johnson Asiama, has warned that despite recent improvements in the country’s macroeconomic indicators, Ghana could face economic pressures if tensions in the Middle East intensify.

He gave the caution at the opening of the 129th meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), Dr Asiama on Monday, March 16. Dr Johnson Asiama said the caution stems from tensions affecting key global energy and shipping routes, potentially causing volatility in global oil markets.

He added “Geopolitical uncertainty tends to support gold prices. Given the importance of gold in our export earnings, this could improve our trade balance”.

The ongoing tensions have been linked to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed in strikes by the Unites States (U.S.) and Israel. This development significantly impacting travelers from Ghana to Asia, Europe, and North America, as Dubai is a major transit hub connecting travelers through the United Arab Emirates.

Ghana, being one of the dependents of the global oil supply, stakeholders began to express concerns about a possible shortage of fuel across the country. However, the Corporate Affairs Officer of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Godwin Mahama Ayaba, during an appearance on March 11, indicated that Ghana is unlikely to experience fuel shortages despite rising tensions in the Middle East, citing the country’s diversified sources of petroleum imports and growing local refining capacity.

According to him, the NPA recently issued a statement indicating that the situation in the Middle East will not lead to shortages of petroleum products in the country.

“The National Petroleum Authority, which is the regulator, some three to four hours ago issued an official statement assuring all of us that as for shortage, there is no way the Iran–Israel conflict is going to affect us,” he said.

Mr Ayaba explained that Ghana’s fuel import structure significantly reduces the risk of supply disruption because the country imports most of its finished petroleum products from Europe.

“Ghana largely imports from two different areas: Europe and the Arabian region. Where we import most is Europe,” he noted.

“We import about 80 per cent of our finished petroleum products from Europe and about 20 per cent from the Arabian region, where this conflict may have an impact.”

While acknowledging that the Middle East tensions could affect that 20 per cent supply, he said Ghana’s domestic refining capacity is expected to fill the gap.

“So we are likely to lose that 20 per cent, but with TOR coming on stream, we will be able to block that gap,” he said.

Mr Ayaba revealed that the refinery is currently producing about 28,000 barrels and expects output to increase significantly after ongoing upgrades.

“Currently, we are producing about 28,000 barrels. After the tie-in, we will move to about 45,000 and further move to 60,000,” he explained.

He added that increased output from other refineries in the country will also contribute to stabilising supply.

“Sentuo is doing around 36,000 to 40,000 barrels a day, Akwaaba is doing somewhere less than 10,000, and Platon is around a little below 3,000,” he stated.

“Together, all these companies will be able to block that 20 per cent that would have come from the Arabian region.”