Smuggling, fraud, counterfeiting and illegal trade are partly a consequence of porous boundaries and laxity in the system of control.
It might be difficult to state clearly how much trade irregularities are causing as losses to the country's economy. One thing that is however clear is that many things going the wrong direction as far as trade is concerned are slipping through the fingers of those who are charged with managing them.
Figures published by GICAM, the association of Cameroon businesses, put the estimates of the annual losses for 2017at FCFA 150 billion as a result of illegal trade, fraud, smuggling and counterfeiting. The proliferation of contraband goods and counterfeit products, such as hydrocarbons, cement, whiskeys, cigarettes, cosmetics, beer and other beverages is strangulating local production out of business.
This continues to be the worry of concerned Cameroonians in general and businesses in particular. But how come a sector so dear to the country's economy like trade could be allowed to decay to this level is the question on many minds.
The customs administration as well as the National Brigade on Fraud Control and Repression of the Ministry of Trade has been working tooth and nail to curb the situation but from the look of things, the more they tighten control knots the more the situation goes out of hand.
Recently, precisely, last March 21, Customs officials in Tiko, one of the main entrances of illegally imported goods, destroyed goods worth FCFA 108 million under the supervision of the Divisional Officer for Tiko. The goods so destroyed included 766 cartons of fake medicines, 624 packs of non-biodegradable plastic bags, and 158 cartons of cigarettes.
The illegal goods were put to flames in the outskirt of the town of Tiko. Many of such operations have been taking place. Several of such reasons explain such repressive administrative decisions. This happens when goods are illegally imported, when they are counterfeited products and when they are observed to have defied recognised standards.
The situation is further facilitated by the porous nature of Cameroon's frontiers both on land and sea. The country shares over 1,000 kilometers of land and sea with neighbouring Nigeria, a portion of the land with Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
This makes it difficult to set up customs posts in all the outlets. Traders will always find a way out, and this explains why illegal and illicit goods continue to flood the country. Of course, the country's economy continues to bleed under the heavy weight of such irregularities.
