Bamenda scrambles for cooking gas

Over 400 hundred cylinders were sold before 10 am last Tuesday.

Since the increment of fuel prices last July 1, 2014, the population of Bamenda has been yearning for a place where they could buy cooking gas at the official rate which stands at FCFA 6,500 for a 12.5 kg bottle.

Some dealers in the gas now sell a bottle at CFA 8,000 and others FCFA 8,500.

As such, the promotional sale of gas organized by the Regional Delegation of Trade came as manna from heaven.

As from 7 am Tuesday morning the population has been streaming into the Congress Hall where the promotional was been held. On sale was only the SCTM brand of gas considered to be the most problematic in terms of price and the most consumed.

As explained by the Regional Delegate of Trade for the North West, Matoya Cletus, the promotional sale is a means to pre-empt manipulations by some unscrupulous gas dealers as well as to regulate the prices in the market.

He said the promotional sales well equally go a long way to ensuring that every household using gas gets it at the official rates.

He was aware of the fact that some dealers sell at very high cost and says he is doing his best to ensure that dealers in gas respect the official prices.

As to why it is only SCTM gas on sale he said about 80 per cent of the population in Bamenda uses SCTM as such its dealers are not honest and are always out to scam its consumers.

However, he mentioned that his delegation is equally monitoring the price of other brands of cooking gas in the market.

He revealed that by 10 am Tuesday morning they had sold over 400 bottles of gas.

He said they have order for more 800 bottles and in the days ahead they will move to other Divisions to ensure that the population in the other parts of the region can buy gas at the official price.

Geraldine Mbunwe a housewife who just bought her 12.5kg of gas at FCFA 6,500 told CT that it was the first time for her to buy gas at that rate.

She said she had been used to buying gas at FCFA 7,500 and at times even FCFA 9000.