Ethiopia is known by the water resources it possesses that provided it the nick name The Water Tower of Africa. However, the resources should be capitalized in the modern manner of water use as for healthier drinking. And according to World Health Organization, one healthy person is supposed to drink two liters of water per day.
And in these days, bottled water is one of the standard drinking water processing through adding value and enhancing easy water mobile as it has become one of the most consumed products in almost everywhere in the world. To boost this need, the nation has been doing its best through the provision local and foreign direct investment motivational packages.
The investment in bottling drinking water and mineral water has risen from six factories in 2011 to 76 in the beginning of the 2019 based on the investment opportunities created by the government to the private sector. All the factories together, are producing around 100 milliliters of water per head per day when their total production is divided to the total number of population, which is estimated to 10 million USD according to some studies.
The Ethiopian Standard Agency Communication Director, Yisma Jiru said that the involvement of investors in bottling water sector at early time was less in amount, but after few years later the participation of the investors is rising and the products have become more diversified in their type across the country. They are all to
the standard though persistent follow up is needed.
The investors are receiving their licenses by setting standard of the plastic water and mineral water they produce under the inspection of the agency to supply quality products. “The agency is providing training, technical support for the producer in order to produce standard water and supply healthy products for the society,” he noted.
The plastic bottle water is commonly consumed in urban areas; the rest rural communities are consuming the tap and river water in daily life usually. This plastic bottle water is mainly used by schools, hospitals, hotels and at house hold levels. However it is diversified and produced widely, the supply does satisfy the demand as the population is highly increasing, he mentioned.
Besides, the increment of the factories is due to the increment of the urbanization to cover the gap that the government fails to provide water to all levels of the dwellers by tap water. As well the water consumption habit of the society is dramatically changing.
The Ethiopian Investment Commission Communication Director Mekonnen Haile told The Ethiopian Herald that 28 foreign investors are involved through direct foreign investment.
“These foreign investors are bringing the latest technology for the production of bottled water and are providing better experiences to the local investors in the sector.” The investment areas in the country are mainly Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa City Administrations and Oromia, Amhara, and Tigray States, Mekonnen told.
He adds that, “the country has high potential in water endowment since she is called as the water tower of Africa; and still in this aspect there is good opportunity for the investors who want to invest in this sector”.
According to him, US, China, Britain, Canada, Lebanon, Italy, Qatar, Togo and France investors are participating on plastic bottle water production either in single or joint venture are taking part in bottling different standard bottled water since 15 January 2008. They are exporting plastic bottled water and Ambo mineral products to Djibouti, Sudan and US assisting the nation to earn foreign currency.
On one hand, reports show that plastic bags and bottles are among the most environment pollutants. It takes hundreds of years for plastic bottles to be decomposed. To fight such environmental pollution caused by the plastic bottles thrown everywhere across roads and farms, the manufacturer of a bottled water factory has introduced a new incentive package for the youth engaged in the collection to buy and recycle them.
Currently a person, who collects one kilograms of plastic bottle garbage, sells it to 3.57 Birr, though the company has planned to increase the price for a kilogram to 4.25 Birr.
If such experiences are scaled up to avoid the pollution, the water resource capitalizing would lead the nation to effectively utilize the resource.
The Ethiopian Herald February 22/2019
BY MISGANAW ASNAKE
