Classified Establishments: 2015 Inspection Fetches 477 Million FCFA

By Victorine BIY, Cameroon Tribune

The results of the 2015 campaign were released in Yaounde on April 12, 2016, during the launch of the 2016 operation.

The Technical Secretariat of the National Committee on Inspections of Classified Establishments in Cameroon has released results of the 2015 campaign, indicating that some 132 first, second and third class estbalishments were sanctioned.

Some 90 others were

served warning notices for hazardous, unhealthy and obnoxiousness out of the 3,326 that were inspected. The team recovered FCFA 449.9 million owed the State and FCFA 27.9 million for inspection pressure equipment as well as for the size of some of the institutions. In all, the 2015 campaign fetched the State coffers some FCFA 477.9 million.

The figures were disclosed at a ceremony in Yaounde on April 12, 2016, to launch this year’s classified establishments’ inspection campaign in all the 10 regions of the country. The Minister of Mines, Industries and Technological Development, President of the National Committee of Inspections, Ernest Gwaboubou, recalled that the proliferation of classified establishments (establishments that present risk to health, security and for the surroundings), has considerably increased over the years.

As a result the number of accidents and other effects on the health of people and the environment also swelled. Government is therefore committed to preventing such risks by reducing accidents and pollution, the Minister said. The 2016 campaign to control classified establishments is therefore the continuation of government’s efforts to sanitise the sector and create a favourable business climate through coherence and coordination of activities for investors as championed by the Cameroon Business Forum, stated Ernest Gwaboubou.

The teams will try to uncover irregularities that will be listed in reports and forwarded to the Committee for action. Should a malfunction occur such as accident or explosion, investigations will be opened to assess the causes, damage and establish responsibilities.

The operation targets the first, second and third class establishments not in good standing. The Sub Director of Industrial Hazards, Coordinator of the Techincal Secretariat for the exercise, Bagoutou Djembele, stated that first class institutions (oil companies or breweries) represent the most dangerous, taking into account the type of activities that are conducted and devices used. Second class institutions (gas stations, hardware stores, bakeries...) pose moderate danger and those of third class have quickly controllable dangers.

First class facilities will be checked by inspectors of central services, institutions of second class by the inspectors of regional services, and divisional services inspectors shall monitor the third class. The campaign follows the August 24, 2014 edict of the Prime Minister, fixing modalities for the coordination and inspection of classified establishments considered as dangerous, filthy and unaccomodating.