Increase in fuel prices: Transporters unions concert on restructuring, adapting to new prices.

The meeting and decision were prompted by the press release issued by the Secretary General at the Prime Minister’s Office, Prof Seraphin Magloire Fouda, announcing measures to reduce certain taxes and customs charges in the road transport sector, following the increase in fuel prices by 15%, which went into effect from February 3.

To this effect, the socio-professional organisations of transporters, unions of transporters, drivers and similar road transport professionals, saw it necessary to converge and discuss new developments, which have direct impacts on their activities. 

The over five-hour meeting was chaired by Hon Sime Pierre, President of the National Union of Road Transporters of Cameroon, known by its French abbreviation, SNTRC. It was coordinated by El Hadj Oumarou, boss of Land Freight Management Office.

It focused on decisive measures to be taken in order to adapt to the new increase in the prices of certain petroleum products on local and sub-regional corridors, precisely Chad and the Central Africa Republic. 

During the heated discussions, transporters pleaded in favour of an increase in the price of transport to national destinations, from Douala to Yaounde, Maroua, Ngaoundéré, Kousseri, Garoua and so on. 

An estimated revaluation, according to the tonnage of the goods, was arrived at in consensus with the National Shippers Council. 

Thus, the transportation of goods to the localities of Maroua or Kousseri, henceforth, will be cost100,000 FCFA per tonnes of goods. Concerning the price of transport to the hinterland from the Port of Douala, it was agreed for an increase of 30% on the consensus price of transport to Chad and the Central African Republic. 

This will take into account successive fuel price adjustments made on February 1, 2023, and February 3, 2024. 

Consequently, road transporters are now requesting from freight lessors the sum of approximately 4.2 million FCFA, for the Douala-Bangui corridor, which previously stood at 3.5 million FCFA.

Transporters of hydrocarbon products are also expecting the structuring of transport prices for petroleum products, a prerogative of the Hydrocarbons Prices Stabilisation Fund, CSPH. 

On this aspect, transporters demand publication by this institution of the new price structuring grid before any transportation of petroleum products. 

The meeting also permitted stakeholders to identify numerous issues that are hampering the development of their activity.