Respect standards

Water bottling companies told
By Cyprian Ntiamba Obi Ntui in Yaounde
According to “Le Jour”, a French language newspaper, up to 85% of companies involved in the exploitation, bottling and sale of mineral water in Cameroon are doing so with utter disregard to the norms and laws put in place by government. Consequently, Cameroonians who consume their products are exposed to danger.
    In an effort to bring sanity to the sector therefore, the ministry of mines, industry and technological development-MINMIDT on 24 October organized a workshop in Limbe, South West region, bringing together stakeholders in the sector.
    Vincent Nafongo, the first assistant SDO for Fako who opened the meeting said the aim was to urge all actors in the sector to abide by the rules and regulations in place. He said some companies were exploiting and bottling water in the division without government authorization. Others, he added were not respecting the minimum safety standards put in place.
    Nafongo then assigned M. Bisso, the chief of mineral water exploitation in the ministry to visit all industrial sites where mineral water was being exploited and bottled in Fako. Bisso was told among other things to ascertain that the exploiting companies had the necessary authorization papers.

    On her part, Pauline Nkono, the South West regional delegate for mines used the occasion to educate the businessmen on the procedures to follow in order to acquire a mineral water exploitation and bottling licence.
    The SDO for Fako called on actors in this sector in the division to work together to capture the market in view of the many international sporting events to be hosted by Cameroon in the coming years. Specifically, he mentioned the women African Nations Cup in 2016 and the Male African Nations cup to be hosted by Cameroon in 2019.
    On his part, Charles Maboa Beme, director of Semme Mineral Water Corporation SA, said his company had taken all necessary measures to ensure that his customers were supplied with good quality water. “We supply water to not only Cameroon but to other countries in the Central African sub region,” Beme said.
    Other water exploiting and bottling companies that attended the gathering were Green Valley, source du pays, volcanic, Napco and Hesco.