Inspection companies in the private sector are worried that certain verification requirements within the Conformity Assessment Programme, PECAE, do not consider local realities such as the state of roads. They propose modification of certain requirements in order to better protect citizens from the importation of substandard and counterfeit products and to ensure that products within the local market are those of good quality.

The proposal was put forth by representatives of private local inspection companies during sensitisation sessions in Douala, on August 25, 2016 organised by one of Cameroon’s business cartel “Entreprises du Cameroun” (ECAM) with the assistance of the Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) at the Cameroon Chamber of Commerce. Lloyd’s Administrative and Financial Manager, Kelly Komga, argued that a car that has been used in Europe with five more years remaining for it to be put off the road cannot be road-worthy for up to five years in Cameroon. She explained that the state of local roads are not as good as those in Europe, so such a car should be given two years, for example, to be put off the road in Cameroon.

As inspection proper began on August 31, 2016, private inspection companies called on government and its partners such as the SGS and Intertek, which were awarded a mandate by ANOR as one of the service providers to carry out this pre-shipment inspection to reconsider the existing requirements.

The sensitization was in line with the country’s steady commitment to have goods imported to Cameroon comply with the requirements of the Standards and Quality Agency, ANOR. Inspection ensures proper identification of goods prior to shipment with specific regard to their quality, quantity, tariff classification, import eligibility and the provision of valuation information for customs purposes.

Cameroon Tribune