BY MOKAM BEATRICE, OJONG ISSAC, ULE ALEXIA & MEYA LENA (UB JMC interns)
The infiltration of a contraband fuel, commonly called ‘Funge’ into Cameroon a few years ago, is causing more and more filling stations, within Fako Division to shut down. Others are also expressing a drastic drop in their profit margin as unemployed Cameroonians, most especially women, take interest in the business.
In an interview granted The SUN, recently, a staff at a Down Beach-based filling station, Mr. Pierre, disclosed that a few stations within Fako Division have run out of business because many prefer ‘Funge’. “A litre of super at the filling station sells at FCFA 650. This same quantity of ‘Funge’ is sold at about FCFA 450. So, most car owners and drivers, who were hitherto filling here with us, have turned to ‘Funge’ because of the difference in cost. Some stations, who could not meet up with this challenge, like a famous station around Buea Park in Limbe, decided to shut down completely,” he stated. It was also noted that at least two filling stations in Buea are no longer functioning because of the advent of this contraband fuel.
Many workers at other filling stations The SUN visited complained that they have been witnessing a steady but consistent decrease in sales and customers since the coming of this illegally imported fuel. They attributed the love for ‘Funge’ to ignorance. “People out there don’t understand how risky it is to buy ‘funge’. It does not only destroy their engines but the odour from it gives diseases. We sell quality petrol and everything is being checked by the government”, Mr. Pierre explained.
Supporting Mr.Pierre, the Chief of Service for Petroleum at the Fako Divisional Delegation of Water and Energy, Mr. Jerom, said dealers in the illegally imported fuel do not use gloves and cotton, and are thus, exposed to some respiratory diseases likes asthma. He added that the sale of ‘Funge’ increases the risk of fire accident for houses and offices around where they are sold.
Despite the supposed negative effects of ‘Funge’, the business is so palatable that more and more people, especially women keep getting on a daily basis. Limbe-based ‘funge’ dealer, Ngueme Juliet, for example, was attracted to this business some two years ago because of its lucrative nature. “The price of ‘Funge” is moderate compared to the stations and the business is less stressful. Many women have entered the business due to the crisis because they want to feed their children and it is lucrative,” she said.
With increasing repressive measures by the government against the illegal importation of ‘funge”, vendors have started complaining of scarcity in the contraband, which has increased the price from FCFA 450 to FCFA 500.