Lukong Pius Nyuylime
3 June 2005
The National Advertisement Council met in an extraordinary session yesterday to put order in the business.
Five major points featured on the agenda of the National Advertisement Council which met in extraordinary session in Yaounde yesterday. Introducing into the law dispositions that will enable the council regulate advertisement on alcohol, tobacco and health; poor practices of some councils in the award of contracts on advertisements; illegal exercise by some economic actors of the profession of advertisement managers; examining the law of 29 July, 1989 on the organization and functioning of the National Advertisement Council and regulating newsworthy advertisements.
Presided at by the Minister of Communication, Prof. Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo, members of the council set out to put order in the sector not only by rethinking the possible modifications that can be made to the law regulating the advertisement profession, but by ensuring, through the council's administrative structures, that actors in the business do not abuse the existing law. From the look of things, such rampant abuses had become excessive with advertisements in alcohol, tobacco and health. In order to better protect the population against health hazards that may come as a result of these activities, the council decided to put an end to it. This will be done by adapting the law in such a way as to pre-empt imminent disorders which can tarnish the image of Cameroon and eventually go against universal practices.
Without allowing emotions to overflow on the subject, council members in their discussion took into consideration the impact of the activity on the national economy; the growing poverty situation which is pushing the population towards roadside medicines and quack traditional doctors; the risk of using these products and their subsequent consequences.
The Yaounde Urban Council was especially irked for unprofessional practices in giving out contracts to fake actors in the sector. In effect, the councils are blamed for unilaterally choosing advertisement managers who are impose on news casters, making it difficult for the latter to freely choose from duly registered managers alternative proposals. Already on 30 January, 2004, the National Advertisement Council had discussed the issue, obliging the councils to conform to the law. Yesterday's meeting offered another opportunity to reiterate and denounce select cases of fraud in this context.
The council members equally noted with dismay the growing number of people illegally operating as advertisement managers and who have invaded the contract market in the sector. Apart from CRTV, SOPECAM, Magic FM and Radio Equatoriale, which have duly registered structures, all the others directly sell their pages and airtime to announcers.
Faced with these improprieties, the National Advertisement Council equally set out to prepare a draft bill which will adapt the law to the changing political and administrative environment.
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