The National Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Producers (NASPAWAP) suspended their proposed increase in prices of sachet water effective February 7.

This comes after the government stepped in to intervene and avert the increase, indicating that a meeting with relevant stakeholders will be held today, Wednesday, April 8, for engagements on the industry’s challenges and to agree on a sustainable way forward.

The engagement will bring together the Ghana Plastic Manufacturers Association and the National Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Producers as part of efforts to make the best out of the situation.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Agribusiness yesterday indicated in a formal statement that the public is expected to continue purchasing sachet water at the old price, not the proposed maximum retail price of GH¢15 as earlier reported by the association.

“The Ministry, hereby, assures the public that the price of sachet water will not increase today. Consumers can continue to purchase sachet water at the current price.”

While the prices remain unchanged, the Trades Ministry has now added that his outfit would meet with members of the association to discuss the way forward.

“On Wednesday, 8th April 2026, the Ministry will meet with the leadership of the Ghana Plastic Manufacturers Association (GPMA) and the National Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Producers (NASPAWAP) to urgently address challenges facing the sector.

Speaking to Citi Business News, the Ministry’s Chief Commercial Officer, Kofi Addo, expressed optimism that the engagement will lead to a constructive outcome that reflects both industry realities and consumer interests.

He noted that producers have held prices steady for several years despite rising operational costs. “For the past three to four years, they have not increased sale prices, but this was mainly due to the high cost of raw materials,” he explained, pointing to broader global developments that have disrupted supply chains and increased production expenses.

Mr Addo added that the ministry only became fully aware of the extent of these challenges after the announcement of the intended price adjustment, prompting the decision to engage stakeholders more directly.

“Given this information, and because the ministry was not aware, we felt it was important to engage them so that we can look at all the issues relating to the sector and find a balanced way forward,” he said.

He also acknowledged the cooperation shown by manufacturers and producers in pausing the price increase to allow for dialogue.

“We appreciate the manufacturers and the producers for cooperating with the ministry to halt the increment today, so that we can all meet and come up with a workable plan for the sector,” he added.

When was the proposed increment announced?

NASPAWAP announced the increase in a formal statement issued on Thursday, April 2 and signed by the association's Director of Corporate Affairs, citing that the escalating Middle East tensions informed 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”.

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 a polymer, and why is it affecting the 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 experience high production costs.

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