Sierra Leone Electricity and Water Regulatory Company (SLEWRC) and the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau (SLSB) trained over eighty sachet water companies on compliance in order to ensure that operators understand the provisions of the package water regulations and the implications of non-compliance.
The theme of the training which took place in the SLSB auditorium at PWD was ‘Quality Drinking Water for Good Health’.
SLEWRC’s Director-General Dr. Emmanuel Mannah said that the Sierra Leone Pure Water Sachets and Bottling Organization is recognized as a body of professional businessmen and women specialized in the production, distribution, and sales of clean drinking water to the entire population of Sierra Leone. “By virtue of the work they do, these businesses processional are at the heart of ensuring safety in the last mile of the water industry and for this reason, we cannot overemphasize the importance of the role they play.
Speaking about the need for self-monitoring within the sector, the Commission’s Director-General Emmanuel Mannah explained “from the economic point of view, EWRC gives licenses as an entering point in the market. However, if complying companies allow noncomplying companies to operate it is but obvious that the noncomplying companies would dwindle the market share of complying companies which is unfair. Noncomplying companies evade taxes, hence making a profit at the detriment of others. It is against this backdrop, we encourage complying companies to police the sector because we want fair and genuine competition in the market,” the DG said.
Another key aspect of the training, the DG said, “the training is also aimed at helping producers understand the processes involved in the production of cleaned and safe drinking water so as a way of supporting the packaged water landscape…”
However, he noted that in spite of the carrot approach of educating producers “stop operation of all non-compliant companies will continue and the commission will administer the enforcement of penalty charges and fines in accordance with the EWRC 2O11 Act.”
He also noted that notwithstanding, the license status of package water companies will be updated and published nationwide on a regular basis.
SLSB Deputy Executive Director, Amadu Jogor Bah explained that the SLEWRC and the bureau have harmonized their operation and working in one accord. He said that the only way to sanitize the industry is to have regulations that are in line with the required standards or quality. He noted that the SLSB has instituted an inclusive process relevant stakeholders are involved whenever standards are being reviewed so that they would be aware of the changes.
Representative of the Health Ministry, Abu Kargbo explained to water producers that the product they sell is critical and one mistake has serious nationwide health implications. “You must be careful because thousands of people consume your product,” he emphasized.
Abu also explained the need to ensure that production areas are well sanitized, “you will spread disease and lose customers if your production facility is filthy, this is why it is important to always keep it sanitized,” he appealed.
Sierra Leone Water Union’s PRO, Alpha Max Jalloh said that training like this is what they have been craving for over the years, as it helps sanitize the industry by curbing out those mushroom fly-by-night entities from the industry” This is a signal for those who are operating illegally to know that it is no longer business as usual, as the union has been mandated to go after them and report to the commission.”
