Prior to Christmas, the Cameroon Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atanga, instituted lower prices of food and other basic commodities in the country. The lower prices for most food items were seen in certain quarters of Yaoundé and Douala.
The ministry argued that it reflected how prices of goods should be sold in stores. Yet, the minister brandished them as promotional sales to help families prepare for end-of-year festivities.
List of food prices
What the government projected ended up only at 20th May Boulevard in Yaoundé and Akwa in Douala.
There, 50 kg of Big Joe rice was sold at 15000 FCFA. 25 kg of Bella Luna rice sold at 12000 FCFA.
The promotional sales also indicated the cost of Mayor and Oleo cooking oil and 1400 FCFA.
A kg of meat was priced at 2700 and 2300 FCFA.
Prices remained unchanged in stores
However, despite the push from Mbarga Atangana, prices remained high in stores. 25 kg of the white rice, which is the cheapest, is sold at over 17000 FCFA.
While 50 kg is ranging from 40,000 to 45,000 FCFA for brown rice. In Buea, for instance, a kg of cow meat is 3000 FCFA, contrary to the 2300 FCFA projected by the minister.
Meanwhile, in some stores, Mayor cooking oil is from 1600 FCFA per litre.
Rice is among the staples for every ordinary household in Cameroon. Since fuel prices increased and indirectly increased prices for food, the prices have not reduced.
The promotional sales do not in any way create an impact for about ⅓ of the popular in Cameroon.
