Imports of refined sugar: the controversial decision of Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh

While Sosucam is incapable of curbing the national deficit that revolves around 40,000 tonnes, the Sg/Pr calls for the stop of imports without consultation with stakeholders and public authorities who manage the sector, increasing the time inflation risks.

On August 21, 2014, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Secretary general of the Presidency of the Republic, which would be in "running on very high instructions from the head of State," asked the Prime Minister, head of Government, to kindly instruct Ministers respectively in charge of finance and trade to suspend, until further notice, the licensing of imports of refined sugar and cement.The measure is currently the whirlpool in the sugar sector. And for good reason, many actors suspect that Sosucam could be behind this measure of Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh.

September 23, 2013, during a meeting of consultation with the Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, makers of Sosucam, based on 10 billion CFA francs of losses from sales, losses they caused by smuggling and massive sugar imports authorized by the Government asked the Minister of Commerce to suspend purely and simply imports of sugar on the Cameroon market.

According to them, this is the only way to save 3,500 jobs out of the 7000 provided by Sosucam in its Mbandjock and Nkoteng plants in the central region. The company says that it will be unable to operate the two plants during the next campaign, which opened on 25 October 2013.

This, because of the slump in sales of Sosucam sugar, supported this agro-industrial company. This was a rather surprising request according to Cameroonian Minister of trade. "Sosucam requested an authorization for imports for 25,000 tons of sugar this year. She got the go ahead for 21,000 tons and has already imported 15,000 tons. I do not understand what poses problem», revealed Luc - Magloire Mbarga Atangana.

Yet the production of the Sosucam does not fill the needs of the national market. The deficit is estimated at approximately 40,000 tonnes per year. Because of bad passes, the Sosucam is very often forced to continue to work with its only Nkoteng factory which produces on average each year 77,000 tons of sugar, compared with 50,000 tonnes for the factory of Mbandjock.

For some officials of the public administration, it is not this special authorization for imports of sugar that pummels the activities of the Sosucam. It is rather the management of the company which is pointing the finger. "In fact, the company ought to take managerial measures and trade to face the competition and be able to sell its products", blames a source at the regional delegation of the trade for the Littoral.