The usual crowd around the Ministry of Trade was surprised by the demolition of the kiosk located on the ministry’s parking lot yesterday morning by agents of the demolition task force of the Yaounde City Council. The kiosk was mounted by the Ministry of Trade and one of its partners, SOACAM to sell basic commodities at wholesale prices to the public, on a permanent basis, instead of periodic caravan promotion sales hitherto organised on same site.
The operators of the food distribution company, SOACAM who arrived at the scene a few minutes after the departure of the demolition team expressed disappointment and opened their van fifty metres away to offer basic commodities like vegetable oil, canned fish, rice and sugar to the buying public at affordable prices.
The Chief of the Brigade for Control and Fight against Fraud at the Ministry of Trade, Jean Marie Nemi Nkolo also expressed his disappointment with the Yaounde City Council for carrying out the act. “The Director of Internal Trade had received assurances from the Secretary General of the Yaounde City Council that the kiosk set up to help Cameroonians at this time of scarcities, will not be destroyed especially as it is found in the parking lot of the Ministry of Trade,” he explained.
Likewise, the regional representative of SOACAM, Oussoumanou Malloum was infuriated by the demolition. “We were requested by the Ministry of Trade to build a kiosk at the ministerial building premises to serve the increasing demand for basic commodities expressed by the public. We are very disappointed by the City Council’s decision to demolish the structure that we spent much to build more than a week ago,” he said.
The kiosk was built on November 4, 2010 by SOACAM and the Ministry of Trade. A day later, agents from the Yaounde City Council put a cross on the structure to demand its removal. The Director of Internal Trade is reported to have met with the Secretary General of the Yaounde City Council and the latter gave assurances that the structure will not be destroyed.
On his part, the Director of Technical Services at the Yaounde City Council, Arnauld Philippe Ndzana said that no authorisation had been given to the Ministry of Trade for the construction of the kiosk.
