One Week to Combat Counterfeiting

Stakeholders are being drilled on mechanisms of halting the socio-economic destroyer.

Counterfeiting, the practice of manufacturing goods, often of inferior quality, and selling them under a brand name without the brand owner's authorisation, is increasingly gaining grounds in the country with the market inundated with such goods. But authorities say this must end.

A one week sensitisation and capacity building campaign is underway in Yaounde to enlighten stakeholders on the dangers of the scourge and sharpen their skills on the mechanisms of effectively combating it. Organised by the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Technological Development and placed on the theme, "Counterfeiting: A drawback to the industrial and socio-economic development of Cameroon," manifestations target the administration, trade unions and the general public.

For one week, participants will be treated to paper presentations and plenary discussions on topics like, "The protection of intellectual property right," "Definition and general aspects of counterfeiting," "Socio-economic impact of counterfeiting in Cameroon," and "Mechanisms to combat counterfeiting." The various workshops as well as exhibition of products to better edify the public on how to distinguish a counterfeited product from a genuine one will be taking place in the courtyard of the Yaounde City Hall after the official opening ceremony this Tuesday October 29. Prior to that, the sensitisation caravan combed the nooks and crannies of Yaounde yesterday October 28 to solicit the collaboration of the public.

Hair-scratching statistics from a study carried out by GICAM show that between 2001 and 2006, companies lost over FCFA 40 billion, the State FCFA 3 - 4 billion in fiscal revenue and 3,000 jobs were sacrificed on the altar of the growing malice. Worse still, it emerged from a random sampling of 568 opinions from people of all walks of life in the country between May and June, 2013 that pharmaceutical (18.13%), cosmetics (17.82%) and food (15.43%) sectors are the hardest hit by the destroyer, curiously, sectors that directly touch on the daily life of the population.