Their call came at a time when many people are infiltrating the business by setting up mushroom companies in unhygienic environments without following laid down safety standards. This, they say is seriously undermining their effort to produce sachet water in the country that meets international standard.
Addressing journalists recently at the So Pure Water Company at St. Helena, in Freetown, the president of the organization, Mohamed Bokum, of Bokum Pure Water, said Sierra Leone has the best natural water which many countries are yearning to import. He said as business entities they must not only look into the profit aspect of their respective businesses but must also ensure the safety and standard that are expected to enable their products compete with imported ones.
He added that the organization has been in existence for many years but that it is the new executive members that are trying to revive the organization. He called on the government to empower the organization for them to be able to effectively monitor the industry which he said has been lacking.
He said there are over four hundred companies producing water in the country and without proper regulation, people will not get the standard they deserve.
The Vice President Amin Hudroge of So Pure Water said government agencies need to undertake an on-the-spot visit to water companies to know whether they are producing standard and quality water for the people of Sierra Leone and also not to hesitate to shut down any company that does not meet safety requirement.
He added that companies that are producing water of less than 500ML should desist immediately as they have a task-force to monitor every company and that the environment of all factories should be clean and orderly at all time.
Pastor Kenneth, an executive member, called on the organization to do more sensitization and engagement with members in the provinces in order to get the desired results.
He said that this latest move by the organization is not to witch-hunt companies but to ensure that those in the habit of infiltrating the business quit as they are the ones responsible for producing unsafe and unhygienic sachet and bottled water.
