NASPAWAP Rejects Ghana Statistical Service Report -Says GSS Lacks Merit And The Motive Is Not Clear
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Association of Socket and Packaged Water Producers ( NASPAWAP) has noted with concern, the Ghana Statistical Service's report, purported to have been made by Dr Takyi, and making the headlines of newspapers, media houses and trending on social media platforms.
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater 
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Association of Socket and Packaged Water Producers ( NASPAWAP) has noted with concern, the Ghana Statistical Service's report, purported to have been made by Dr Takyi, and making the headlines of newspapers, media houses and trending on social media platforms.
In a press statement signed and issued by the
National President of NASPAWAP, Mr Magnus Nunoo and copied to Soureenews.com, the NEC stated unequivocally that the report by the GSS lacks merit, and the motive is not clear.
According to the statement, the NEC views this as a malicious attempt to hack down another thriving industry, and to draw populous attention to oneself by hitting on targeted sensitive sectors to create the maximum effect of causing fear and panic.
"The NEC also wishes to put into proper context that the GSS report states that 34.1 % of all the sources of household drinking water (of which sachet water only holds 37.4% and the remaining 62.6% is held by other sources of household drinking water) is contaminated with E. coli. Also, the focus on the findings is on the source of sachet water and not the final product (sachet water).
The statement asserted that the NEC rejects the report by Dr Takyi on the grounds that the survey was conducted in 2017, however, the damming report was put in the public domain in 2022 thus after 5 years. Considering the growth in consumption of sachet water which quadrupled over a decade as per the GSS own report, then the GSS silence over the past 5 years could have led 72% of our population that depend on sachet water suffering dire health consequences.
According to the statement, the report focuses on sachet water alone, however bottled water uses the same sources (i.e., borehole, Ghana water or natural spring) thus the motive seems to be the victimization of only sachet water.
The statement noted that about 95% of packaged water producers in the Greater Accra and other regional capitals source their raw water from the finish product of the Ghana Water company which is distributed to every household connected in Ghana, hence is the GSS trying to say that water from the Ghana Water Company contains fecal matter?
The statement said the GSS could have done justice to the report by providing further and correlating data on water and sanitation related diseases like cholera, guinea worm and river blindness over the same period and correlate how the health barometer relates to their findings.
It asserted that the GSS must know that sachet and packaged water companies do not package sourced water without subjecting it to treatment processes.
"Every sachet and packaged water companies subject sourced water through vigorous processes using state of the art filtration systems such as the reverse osmosis among others.
"In the event that the sourced water as the report suggests is contaminated then the filtration system is capable of removing deadly bacteria and viruses from the sourced water thereby making the water potable," it said.
It indicated that the FDA FACTOR: The FDA is mandated by law to regulate the food industry. Every packaged water on the Ghanaian market registered by the FDA has an ID number printed on the packaged product which is unique to each SKU. Companies are mandated to renew their facility licenses yearly.
"By inference every brand goes through a rigorous renewal process that will ensure that products that are challenged are corrected or recalled.
"We understand that the survey was conducted by an assistant field researcher Dr. Takyi at the GSS. NEC would be most grateful if he could make his primary data and primary samples available for an independent analysis to be carry out to bring out the facts.
"To our Consumers and the general public, NEC wishes to state unequivocally that the report by the GSS lacks merit, and the motive is not clear," the statement explained.
The statement appealed to the general public to disregard such one sided survey that has no merit to the packaged water industry.
"The conclusion that sachet water sources is contaminated with fecal matter has no basis, as the water packaged industry do not package, distribute and sells sourced water but rather Treated water that goes through various protocols of production regulated by the FDA and other agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Factory Inspectorate, The environmental health Officers at the district and local levels within the local assemblies," the statement emphasized.
