Increase in fuel prices in Cameroon: transporters say they are “asphyxiated”
In Cameroon, a week after the 15% increase in fuel prices, transporters are struggling to cope. The Cawof inter-union organization submitted a letter to the Prime Minister's office on Friday. The Cameroon Workers Forum, which brings together 11 union confederations, is calling on the government to suspend the increase in fuel prices and open negotiations within eight days, otherwise it plans to call a strike.
At a gas station in Yaoundé, Cameroon. AFP - DANIEL BELOUMOU OLOMO
By: Amélie Tulet Follow
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Since
the price of fuel
has increased in
Cameroon
, transporters say they are “
asphyxiated
”. Fuel is more expensive, but they have no legal right to increase their prices. Drivers of taxis, intercity buses or goods transport trucks… The unions are calling on the government for consultations as soon as possible to review the price of journeys and put in place the promised support measures.
On the ground, a union leader affirms, tension is rising. “
We are tired of separating fights between drivers and customers, and between drivers and their bosses, since they can no longer make the revenue and that creates fights
,” he says.
“
We have to find solutions
”
“
We have to find solutions, we have to reorganize taxi prices and intercity transport prices and everything because it creates problems on all these chains
,” warns Patrice Samen, president of the Federation of Professional Drivers’ Unions. from Cameroon. Reorganize, that is to say increase the approved price of interurban transport in Cameroon. It has been fixed for years: 14 francs per kilometer. He also suggests increasing the price of taxis in town, currently at 300 francs during the day and 350 at night.
Thomas Ondoua, president of the National Union of Urban, Interurban and Road Transport Drivers of Cameroon (Synactuircam) suggests increasing the price of interurban transport to 16 FCFA “
so that operators can juggle
”. “
We don’t even say so that they get by, but so that they can juggle
,” he breathes.
Negotiations
With one voice, the two trade unionists regret that the government did not consult the social partners before announcing the increase in fuel prices. They explain that they were only invited to a meeting on Friday February 2 at the Hydrocarbon Price Stabilization Fund (CSPH) where they were informed that the decision to readjust pump prices had been taken.
“
We first had to work on the support measures, so we asked them to postpone the readjustment of fuel prices while they consulted and prepared the support measures in advance. They responded that the government cannot wait. But on the ground, (...) our comrades are becoming more and more aggressive because in the markets, prices are climbing
,” warns Mr. Ondoua.
Read alsoCameroon: the government justifies the increase in fuel prices
Precariousness
In its press release dated Friday February 2 announcing the increase in prices per liter of super and diesel “
due to the need to absorb the growing budgetary constraints facing the State and to avoid tensions in market supply national level in petroleum products
", the general secretariat of the Cameroonian Prime Minister's services is committed to conducting negotiations "
with all stakeholders in order to mitigate the impact (...) of the readjustment of fuel prices on the power of 'household purchasing and business activity
'. The unionists hope for a meeting at the beginning of next week.
The president of Synactuircam recalls that the salary of a professional driver is generally between 40,000 and 80,000 FCFA per month. Patrice Samen adds that the vast majority of professional drivers are not registered with social security and that many are in a precarious situation.
Read alsoCameroon: the population is worried about the consequences of the 12% increase in fuel prices
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