The departmental services of the Ministry of Trade have been tracking down speculators behind the inflation and shortage of gas in Yaounde.

Official reports says,  A hundred gas cylinders have already been seized “for illegally increasing the approved price which is 6,500 FCFA for a 12.5 kg cylinder”.
“This operation aims to dissuade rogue traders who might be tempted by speculation or other illegal practices in this sector, the sensitivity of which is no longer in question,” explains the Ministry of  Trade. This administration reminds consumers that they have access to the “1502” a free public utility number, to denounce any illegal acts they may be victims of in trade places.

This hunt for speculators comes at a time when consumers have been experiencing a shortage of domestic gas in the capital for several weeks. Some traders, we learn, would hide stocks and thus create an artificial shortage. This is causing prices to rise. Those who absolutely want the product are sometimes obliged to buy the 12.5 kg bottle at 8,000 FCFA instead of 6,500 FCFA, an act the government aims at punishing.