The 15-day suspension, officials say, is to give negotiation a chance so that at the end of the day all the stakeholders are satisfied.

Diago-Guinness Cameroun Hub has suspended for 15 days increases in the prices of its products to better negotiate with government on how to go about it. According to a telephone conversation with an official of the company, the suspension is to give negotiation a chance and satisfy everybody concerned with the products. It took effect from April 24. Since April 1, 2012, Guinness, Guinness Smooth, Malt Up, Malta and other products of the company witnessed a FCFA 50 per bottle increase in price and about FCFA 1,000 per crate. Company sources said the decision to augment the prices was motivated by the increase in the prices of brewery ingredients in the international market. But government, through the Ministry of Trade, came out forcefully to condemn the move, qualifying it as everything but consumer-friendly. At press time yesterday, officials of Guinness Cameroon were reportedly meeting with distributors to seek ways of respecting the suspension. Details in our next edition.