Norms Controlling Product Qualities May Be Defiled

Sometimes recalcitrant traders put in market but products to make profit yet jeopardising health of consumers.

« Eh! this yoghourt seem to have expired see how watery it is. But it has not reached the expiry date”. A neighbour said after buying a carton of yoghurt. But why has the quality changed when it still has three months before the expiry date was the question. This kind of experience many people go through with other products in Cameroon but lack where to lay complains but many at times because they doubt whether any action will be taken. Another issue is that many people wonder whether there is a proper check of the quality of products consumed.
The body in charge of the quality of goods imported in Douala is the Ministry of Mines and Industry, headed in Douala by the Regional Delegate Celestin Ngassa. In a chat with CT on the control of the quality of products imported and local products, the Regional Delegate said products deal with health and it is dangerous to joke with them. He said they are fighting to protect the welfare of the inhabitants. He added that the public should also try to report cases of bad products they buy to the delegation, because he said the public has to assist them to pick out recalcitrant importers. He said most at times when consumers encounter bad situations with products they do not deem it necessary to report the matter and such companies go free.
The Regional Delegate said there are certain norms the government has put in place which governs both local and imported products before they are sent to the market for consumption. He added that the government has also created an agency, Agency for Normality of Norms which is still under the Ministry of Industries and Mines which handles basically the control of products like Rice, Milk, gas bottles, and sugar, among others. There are norms which control each of such products. He said before a company releases a product or imports a product into the country they need to have a document which is issued by the Ministry of Trade, Certificate of conformity to the Norms. In this document it gives all specificities of the product, where it was fabricated, among others.
The product before it leaves the sea port or Industry to the market; samples are collected and taken to SGS or UDRA which are laboratories which test the quality of the product in Douala. But check up still continues from time to time, he said in the market and if there are any bad goods they are seized and destroyed.
Ngassa said for the case of brewery companies, they do inspections in the industries always and what is not going right they are compelled to correct it but if after several warnings nothing is done, the company will be sealed. He said they have been working with consumer syndicates, sending spots on televisions. But he remarked they lack sufficient personnel to do the job.
EFFA TAMBENKONGHO
Unfrequented check up permits unqualified products in the markets.