Fuh Calistus stages no-nonsense field trip to Douala.

The visit which ended May 9, was meant to address challenges in the wine, whisky, cement and steel sectors in line with instructions from the Head of State, President Biya.

Prof Fuh Calistus also used the Douala visit to assess the standards, norms and conformity of manufacturing industries. To note that of recent, these issues had become worrying, prompting government to take a series of measures. 

The visit of Minister Fuh Calistus to Douala, Monday, was therefore to get a feel of the respect of laid down procedures and to engage stakeholders on the way forward.

The Interim Minister visited some industries in the steel, cement, wine and whisky sectors. He was accompanied by officials of the Standards and Quality Agency, ANOR, and the Enterprise Upgrading Office abbreviated in French as BMN.

The Minister and his entourage visited the plant of the iron and steel company known as PROMETAL based in the Bassa Industrial Zone of Douala.

There, the Interim Minister of Mines, Industries and Technological Development, in view of the imminent launch of three major iron ore projects in the country, discussed on the delivery of iron to the leading metallurgical company. 

The PROMETAL Company is said to have the capacity to transform raw materials from the mine into a product of about three million tonnes per year to be used by industries. 

The Minister also held technical consultations with some stakeholders in the cement sector. Here, discussions centered on ways through which government could help to reduce the production cost for cement manufacturers in order to make the price of the product in the market affordable for buyers. 

Hope for clinker production in Cameroon soon

According to the interim MINMIDT boss, the awarding of a research permit on the Mintom limestone in the Dja and Lobo Division to an operator, EGIN S.A, will ensure sufficient reserves for the start of local production of clinker in Cameroon. 

The availability of clinker, a major raw material for cement factories, it is said, will considerably reduce the market price of cement for Cameroonians. 

Sensitisaion on sachet whisky

Another major point of the field mission was a visit to the Cameroon Fermentation Company, FERMENCAM, and the drink importation company, Star Menchum Industry, aimed at sensitising the industries and the population on the subject of sachet whisky.  

The Minister told the operators to ensure compliance with the ban on packaging whisky in sachets of less than 50 ml and to migrate to bottling to which a moratorium has been granted until 2026 for operators. 

Prof Fuh Calistus reminded the operators of the health dangers of sachet whiskies, especially for Cameroonian youth. He warned that Yaounde will not look away while the lives of innocent Cameroonians are put at risk.

Prof Calistus satisfied with mission

Speaking to the press, the Interim Minister said his mission to the economic capital was satisfactory.

“We are leaving Douala satisfied,” the Interim Minister of Mines stated. 

“We have completed many of the objectives of our mission. We were here to ensure that the cost of living is affordable for Cameroonians,” he further mentioned, before adding that “we also wanted to make sure that what we consume is up to standards”.

It is also worth mentioning that the Minister also visited the Acero Metal Plant, where a fire incident broke out last March with loss of human lives recorded. 

The Minister stressed on the need to conform to the standards of an industrial environment before a definitive operating licence could be issued.

Revisiting ban on sachet wines, spirit drinks

On May 5 this year, the Acting Mines Minister had signed a release banning the manufacturing and packing of whiskies and spirit drinks in plastic packages.  

Deploring their conditions of production and the illegal packaging of whiskies in plastic bags, the Minister ordered for the systematical withdrawal from the market, products of the Africa Foods Complex Sarl, Afcom Company.

The products from the Douala-based company, which included the Casa de Cavini, Baron de Cavini and Château de Merlot brand wines, as well as the Loma brand whiskies, had been banned owing to their production in an unsuitable working environment, characterised by in hygienic conditions amongst other shortcomings. 

In addition, the company reportedly lacks a quality assurance system and illegally produces counterfeit whisky in bags.

According to information gathered from the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, several stocks of the banned counterfeited wines and whiskies have already been seized by competent authorities, especially in the Boumba and Ngoko Division in the East Region. 

It should be noted that the decision comes in a context marked by the ban on the production and marketing of whiskies packaged in sachets of less than 50mm, by the interim MINMIDT boss, since April 11. 

Whiskies sold in sachets and counterfeit wines are said to be hazardous to population’s health as it is difficult to determine the exact composition and amount of alcohol in each sachet. 

Despite the ban on the production, packaging, marketing and usage of non-biodegradable plastic packages since 2014, which has yet to yield fruits, experts say closing down factories producing different kinds of liquors in plastic bags could be the beginning of a solution.