Godlove Bainkong
10 July 2009
Over 4,000 loaves of bread of doubtful quality were seized from one of the bakeries and set ablaze in Yaounde yesterday.
Since an agreement was reached last month between the Ministry of Trade and dealers in basic food items, the former has been employing all available means to see into it that the terms of the agreement (lower prices, qualitative and quantitative supply of the products to consumers) are respected. But this not without resistance from unscrupulous business people who want to survive at all cost.
Yesterday, officials of the Ministry of Trade uncovered a clandestine bakery at the Etoudi quarter in Yaounde which uses expired products to produce bread. One of the products that was seized and displayed at the site was yeast which long expired in January this year.
With the aid of the forces of law and order, officials of the Ministry of Trade forced open the bakery and carried away over 4,000 loaves of bread which were latter set ablaze at the outskirts of town.
According to the Chief of the National Brigade for Controls and Repression of Fraud in the Ministry, Nemi Nkolo Jean-Marie, the operation is to ensure that the price, quality and quantity of bread supplied to consumers is up to standards. "We never knew that bakery owners could go as far as using outmoded products which are detrimental to health", he said, adding that they would not relent their efforts in ensuring the strict respect of the terms of the agreement.
Not only was the bakery using outmoded products, but the environment and the dishes they were using left much to be desired. A situation which, Alphonse Issi, one of the national presidents of the Consumers trade union, described as lamentable. “It is not only against the norms of bakery operation but also detrimental to the health of the consumers”, he said.
Yesterday’s operation came a day after a similar one in the same locality where bakeries that were reticent in applying the homologated prices had their bread seized.
Nemi Nkolo Jean-Marie said the operation is not only limited to the bakery sector. “We have price control teams in the various markets who are ensuring that recalcitrant business people are brought to book”, he said. Yesterday we noticed one of the teams returning from the market with a below-standard weighing machine seized from an unscrupulous sales person. They said some of the people apply the homologated prices but adjust their weighing machines and give below-quantity goods to consumers.
Buyers like Ma Mula, whom we met at Marché Mvog-Mbi, are complaining that some sellers brandish different prices to control teams and apply others to sellers when the team passes. She says it is only when government is strict on the application of the homologated prices that sellers can sit up and free buyers from the cut-throat prices.
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