Yaoundé city dwellers blame gas scarcity on unscrupulous retailers
Government says solution is slowly becoming reality
By Nde Laura
Several neighborhoods in the nation’s political capital Yaoundé have been witnessing a scarcity in domestic gas supply. This has caused many to divert to other alternatives such as charcoal, sawdust, and the traditional three-stone fire in preparing meals.
Many blame the scarcity on some unscrupulous retailers who have taken the opportunity to enrich themselves by selling the few available bottles at cutthroat prices. Some have created artificial scarcity.
A bottle of 12.5kg which used to sell between FCFA 6500– 7,000f , now sells at FCFA 8000 in some neighborhoods and 10- 15,000 Fcfa for others.
According to Glory, a Yaoundé inhabitant who was spotted at a filling station in the Mvan neighborhood, the cooking gas which is sold at 8,000fcfa doesn’t last up to a month. “ I run a cafeteria in my quarter, making meals has not been easy. I’m sure most of these retailers just want to make extravagant profit the gas you buy now doesn’t even last up to a month as they now reduce the quantity in other to make more profit,”.
Another source, who is a student of the Advanced School of Mass Communication, says she has spent more than before. Gas which used to cost 6500 is now sold at FCFA 9,000 around her hostel, “ I have to call my parents to increase my pocket allowance, I have spent more than the amount to purchase gas and have used money learned for other school requirements,”.
Gas distributors say the demand for SCTM which is most popular in the city is high and the supply they get is too limited to satisfy all customers.
However,The director general of the Cameroon petroleum depot has announced the availability of cooking gas in various points in the coming days in the Centre, East, West and North regions.
He made the assurance upon the reception of 4000 tons of metric gas at the Douala autonomous port on October 20, 2022.
Monique Mompea Mbio added that the normal filling of fuel tanks will move from 35-40 to 50 with 128000 bottles filled daily in order to meet up with high demand and resolve the shortage.This government response comes months after cooking gas scarcity has been reported in major cities in the country.
