Kribi Port assures public of quality of imported butter brand rice.

The Kribi Port made the outing recently after some media organs reported that the imported goods were of doubtful quality.

In their rebuttal via a press statement, the Kribi Port explained that the imported 10,000 tonnes of rice entered the country following due procedure.

In the statement, the Kribi Port General Manager wrote: “As the regulator and the coordinator of international trade operations in the port of Kribi and following the current news on the removal of the Butter Brand rice in the port of Kribi last 16 November, the General Manager of the Port Authority of Kribi, PAK hereby informs the media and the general public that the operation completely complied with the various steps of the clearing and control procedures as provided for by the law”. 

The Port recounted that: “As a matter of fact, on November 12, 2023, the vessel Vega, coming from Nanjing, China and carrying a shipment of 10,000 tonnes of Butter Brand rice berthed in the Kribi Deep-sea Port for a planned unloading operation for the company Avanti Cameroun”.

The institution said prior to the berthing of the vessel and the start of unloading operations, the importer submitted required and complete documents to the health police. 

After scrutinising the documents, PAK said the police issued an import inspection report, which was followed by the certificate of conformity issued by authorities of the Standards and Quality Agency, ANOR.

It continued that: “When the vessel berthed, the health police carried out two types of control: first, a visual inspection of the cargo, the seals and other protection devices. The cargo was found to be free of all plant quarantine pests”. 

“In witness whereof, the vessel phytosanitary inspection form and the landing phytosanitary inspection report have been issued; though not compulsory in this case, a sample of the cargo was taken for physico-chemical, microbiological and bacteriological analyses, due to reports that the Democratic Republic of Congo returned consignments of this brand of rice in October 2023,” the PAK statement added.

It said samples were collected in the five holds of the vessel Vega and sent for analysis to a certified lab. 

“The results thereof state that the rice is of hygienic quality complying with the standards for food intended for human consumption,” the communique stated.

“As all the prerequisites mentioned above were met, the authorisation to unload and remove the Butter Brand rice was granted by all relevant administrations among which was the Customs administration,” it added, stating: “The General Manager hereby thanks the importer, Avanti Cameroun, who has always complied beforehand with clearing procedures for its cargo, the quality of which has never been questioned”.

The General Manager meanwhile expressed regrets “and does hope that the recent events did not have an adverse effect on the commercial activities of the importer or his wish to continue to use the ports of Cameroon”.

“Finally, the General Manager would like to reassure customers, port and logistic operators, consumers and the general public of his permanent commitment to make the port of Kribi a safe, reliable and competitive place,” the communique mentioned. 

“The latest award as ‘Best African Port’ in terms of productivity received last November 7, in Lagos during the Annual Council of PMAWCA (Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa), is a sign to acknowledge the operational excellence of Kribi and to encourage PAK to keep on maintaining constantly high standards in terms of port controls, security, and safety” the statement concluded.

Port Authority of Kribi in nutshell 

Located in the South Region, Ocean Division, 35 km to the town of Kribi, the Kribi Deep-sea Port has been operational since March 2, 2018. 

It opens up Cameroon and neighbouring countries to the eastern coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the Gulf of Guinea. 

The port is connected to the national transport network by a multimodal communications hub, and thus connected to a hinterland comprising all the countries of Central Africa and Nigeria. 

With its-16-metre quays and its modern, high-performance infrastructure, this 3generation port provides vessels and goods with services of the highest international standards.

In addition, thanks to its 15,000-ha land reserves, the port of Kribi ranks among the largest industrial port in the world, thus offering the ideal and conducive place for large-scale industrial projects to settle.