"A common front against Cameroon" on the ratification of EPA - Protais Ayangma

Reacting to the recent ratification by the Cameroonian Parliament of the interim EPA agreement signed with the European Union in 2009, Protais Ayangma, president of the Cameroonian labour movement revealed that "other countries feeling betrayed may form a unifying front against Cameroon”.

"It's sad that the elected representatives of the people in their majority do not defend the interests of the people who elected them, he lamented. They have seriously mortgaged the future of younger and future generations. By De-structuring our industry, jobs will be destroyed and that will in turn move towards the countries of the North, reducing us to the status of consumers.

Do you know that, the same Europeans who push us to sign EPAs are reluctant to sign the transatlantic Treaty with the USA? Why would something bad for them, be good for us? He queried.

Like several other Cameroonian businessmen, Protais Ayangma thinks that there are these vulnerable Cameroonian companies that will suffer from this choice that the Government describes as "strategic". No need to be a top-flight economist to understand unless the trade balance is insufficient, EPAs can only worsen the situation, because it is a genuine call in the air for foreign exports that will invade our markets, while our products will be constrained by non-tariff barriers", he said.

According to Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, Cameroonian Minister in charge of the economy, the decision of Cameron is strategic. "It will require that we organize ourselves to produce better, both in quality and quantity. It is important to first conquer the Cameroonian local market before even looking outside.

The opening of our barriers in the direction of the European Union will lead to a number of consequences. We must avoid quickly drawing conclusions in this case. There was a study carried out in 2008 which confirmed we will experience the first tax losses, but at the same time the benefits which our businesses will draw from it will allow us to quickly catch up with these tax losses, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi explained to deputies.

According to the Minister, the interim agreement that the Parliament ratified will be obsolete as soon as a regional agreement is signed. The ball is now in the camp of the president of the Republic. The Parliament allowed him to ratify the interim agreement to these EPAs.

The Cameroonian State will therefore not be expected to wait for the deadline of October 2014, for the ratification of this economic partnership agreement (EPA) like it was signed in 2009 with the European Union. The agreement aims to gradually drop trade barriers between the two entities, in order to establish a free trade area between them, ultimately (over a period of 15 years).