Commerce Ministry stresses no shortage of drinking water

BANGKOK, March 12 (TNA) -- The Commerce Ministry has reiterated that there would be no shortage of drinking water in the country as summer has arrived earlier than expected. According to a spokeswoman of the ministry, major bottled drinking water manufacturers pledged to the Internal Trade Department officials during a meeting earlier this week that they would not hoard their products for profiteering. Sales of bottled drinking water have already increased between 10 - 20 per cent because of the heat, considered normal, while the Commerce Ministry officials will monitor price movements closely, said the spokeswoman. In order to ensure the public that prices of consumer products remained unchanged, the Ministry officials on Saturday inspected several markets in Bangkok and found that prices of certain vegetables rose such as lime had its price increased by one baht due to drought. On a programme to assist rubber planters who are facing a severe drought in the South, the spokeswoman said the Ministry’s Public Warehouse Organisation will start distributing 25 kilogrammes of rice package to each household free of charge within April. Rice packages will be given to 800,000 families, she added. (TNA)