Olive Ejang Tebug Ngoh
5 May 2008
Meme Divisional Delegation of Trade and Commerce, Justine Yada, recently seized about 300 bags of cement, flour, sugar and rice from wholesalers and auctioned them to the public.
The auction sales took place at the Kumba Main Market where hundreds of people turned up to buy the goods.The First Assistant SDO for Meme, Joseph Obate Nkwong, officially opened the auction sale.
A bag of cement that is being sold at FCFA 5,500 was sold at the official price of FCFA 5000; a bag of rice sold at FCFA 16,000, was auctioned at FCFA 14,500 and a bag of flour was auctioned at FCFA 15,000, against the FCFA 18,000 sold in stores.
The Post learned part of the money would be paid to the wholesalers and part sent to the government treasury.According to the Delegate, the reason for the action was to deter unnecessary scarcity of goods in Kumba.
He said wholesalers hoard cement, rice, flour sugar to create artificial scarcity and subsequently sell them at higher prices.The Delegate also argued that this is against the official prices of basic commodities set up by the government.
It should be noted, Meme SDO, Magloire Abath Zangbwala has banned the transportation of cement into and out of Kumba at night.He said between 6 pm and 6 am, no one should transport cement as culprits would be sanctioned.
The people who turned out at the auction were glad at the cheap prices. One Beltine Nkeng a retailer said wholesalers have been exploiting them at the detriment of the masses.
He said they used to buy with receipts issued to them but recently, wholesalers no longer issue them receipts.
Speaking to The Post, the victims of the auction, who preferred not to be named, lamented that it was shocking that the Delegate would cease their goods and auction them the public at cheaper rates.
They argued that they have been selling according to the prices at which they buy the goods from Douala and other places.The businessmen further decried that after auctioning their goods, part of the money would have to enter the treasury again, which means they are at a loss.
They appealed to the government to actively reduce the taxes levied on imported goods and home products so that they could buy cheaper and in turn sell at comfortable prices to the public.
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