Meme, Fako truck drivers protest over “unfair” taxing.

The tipper truck drivers have threatened to stop transportation of all quarry products in the Region, if the situation is not looked into. 

The drivers of quarry products, including sand, gravel and earth in the Region, say the tax is traditionally paid by extractors of the said materials.

“…there will be no sand, no gravel…here in the South West Region from Meme, Tiko, Buea and Limbe. There will be no transportation of any of these quarry products. We want government to know that this tax is too much for us the transporters,” declared Phengeh Bernard, President of Buea Tipper Drivers’ Association, BUTIDA.

Leading his ‘foot soldiers’ during the protest, which entails depriving denizens of South West Region of vital construction materials, Ninying explained that the Delegate of Mines had informed them of the tax on Friday 18 August 2023.

 “…the Regional Delegate of Mines called us to inform us that there is a new law that has been signed from parliament, stating that drivers or transporters will be the ones to be paying this weigh bill tax, which we know is supposed to be paid by extractors. The delegate made us to understand that according to the new law, the drivers or the transporters are the ones to pay weigh bills, but we are not extractors,” he said.

Tipper trucks packed in Buea as pack down bites

The tax, described by the tipper truck drivers as “unfair”, according to the Regional Delegate of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, Netongo Silas Mutale, is a provision found in the 2023 Finance Law of the country.

As detailed by the Regional Delegate, each driver will pay the sum of 5,000 FCFA per trip. 

“In essence, this means if a driver makes four trips a day, he is expected to pay 20,000 FCFA. This means that we will go home empty handed because we have to give money to the owners of the trucks, as well as take care of our daily needs,” bemoaned a driver.

Speaking to journalists on what it will take for them to resume work, the President of Buea Tipper Drivers’ Association, said they expect the law to be reversed to minimise the economic shocks on drivers as a result of the hike in fuel prices. 

He added that the strike action is not only for the good of drivers and car owners, but also for the interest of the population.

“That tax is not only for us the transporters, because it will affect our business and the layman who is consuming these products. If we should accept to pay this money, it will come back to the users of our products,” he said.

Speaking to The Guardian Post via telephone, the South West Regional Delegate of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, Netongo Silas Mutale, explained that the tax was not imposed by him, but by a provision of the 2023 Finance Law.

Since the recent increase in pump price, drivers across the board have complained of increased taxes. One driver who spoke on the basis of anonymity vented his frustration. 

“We are grappling with a lot of taxes now because the vignette that we usually pay 100,000 francs for, is now 150,000 francs and the other taxes have increased. The ministry of mines is now coming to add the pressure on tipper truck drivers,” he lamented.