Government announces temporary ban on export of some products to combat price hikes

The government of Cameroon has announced a move to curtail export of multiple products, to cater for rising prices back home.

“Concerning the supply of the local market, the Government has done well to guarantee access of consumers to locally made products through the temporary suspension of the export of certain products to neighbouring countries, and promotional campaigns to sell products at low prices, throughout the national territory,” announced Government Spokesperson and Communication Minister, Rene Emmanuel Sadi today.

He was leading a group of Minister’s today as they addressed price hikes attributed to the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

He however did not list the said items. The supply cost of water and electricity, the Minister added, has not increased, “thanks to a compensatory policy put in place by the State, which bears the difference between the real cost of services and the rates charged to consumers.”

Minister Sadi said government has taken some easing measures including the “exemption or reduction of taxes and custom duties on the import of certain products that are mainly affected by the risk of inflation, including wheat, iron products, crude palm oil, rice, fish.”

Alongside government measures to combat the price hikes, Minister Sadi tasked citizens to play their part, by consuming more home-made items. This he said, will be a sure way to build resilience: “… This implies building a viable and competitive economy, capable of responding to the exhortation often reiterated by the Head of State, according to which we should ‘consume what we produce and produce what we consume'”.

“This is the objective pursued by the Government of the Republic through the new import-substitution policy that it has put in place,” he added.

The other Ministers present at the press conference including those of Trade, Agriculture and Rural Development and Scientific Innovation are expected to announce measures under their own ministries.

The new measures come shortly after the visit to Cameroon of France’s President, Emmanuel Macron. Among other issues he discussed with President Paul Biya, was the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its effects on Cameroon’s economy, including high prices and shortage of goods.