All things being equal, the production and importation of whiskies in sachets and plastic containers has stopped in Cameroon since Friday, September 12, 2014.

Should the announced follow up by the three ministries who signed the last Friday’s joint order yields fruit, man who has been unconsciously victimized through loss of sight, teeth and sometimes life from abusively consuming the product, could rejoice. But the economy will suffer. Statistics from the customs department shows that the country imported over 1, 880 metric tons of whiskies; sachets and plastic types inclusive, in 2013 to the tune of FCFA 3.6 billion.

According to the Manager Director of Fortune Industries, Balu Chalapaka, the outfit has invested over FCFA 300-400 million into the business and switching to a new business line needs four to five years to re-adapt existing machines. Some 15 people employed to produce the over 300 cartons of the product per month will suffer in the ban. The same holds for Fermencam whose business turnover in 2013, its General Manager, Maurice Djeutchoua, said, was in the neighbourhood of FCFA 12 billion.

He observed that 95 per cent of his company’s production centres on sachet whiskies, employing over 800 people and that readapting their machines to another line of business will need more time and between FCFA 5-6 billion. While SOFAVIN negotiates with banks to finance the switch from the production of the product, sources say the over 1,000 to 1,200 jobs the business generated are at stake.