Joe Dinga Pefok (Uncle Joe)
On Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, GECAM Organized A Meeting That Brought Together Importers, Exporters, Transit Companies And Syndicates Of Professional Groups Operating At Douala Port. Participants At The meeting Faulted PAD For The Crisis, And GECAM Issued An Ultimatum To PAD To Restore Order Before Today (February 16), Or Else – -. PAD Reacted Angrily To GECAM’s Position.
The crisis at the Douala Port degenerated last week, after the Customs Service at the port on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 stopped all collaboration with Transatlantic D, which the General Manager of the Douala Port Authority (PAD), Cyrus Ngo’o, and his Camp, forcefully and illegally brought to Douala Port, to replace SGS Scanning Cameroun SA, in the domain of merchandise inspection (scanning) operation, at the port. The General Manager of PAD’s action was in gross violation of the contract that the Cameroon Government signed with the multinational company, SGS, in 2015, for SGS Scanning Cameroun SA, to be in charge of inspection by scanning of merchandises in containers, at the Douala Port.
But even after the Customs stopped collaborating with Transatlantic D at the Douala Port, and thus put Transatlantic D out of action at the port, the General Manager of PAD still would not allow SGS Scanning Cameroun SA, to resume activities. This meant that the merchandise inspection (scanning) sector at the Douala Port got grounded. Without the inspection of cargoes in containers, customs duties and other taxes could not be paid, and importers and exporters go stock with their containers at the port.
GECAM Issues Ultimatum
Meanwhile, in the face of the crisis that has been rocking the Douala Port since the beginning of the year, due to the conflict as to which company is supposed to be in charge of merchandise inspection (scanning) operation at the port, the organization of enterprise in Cameroon, GECAM (‘Groupement des Entreprises du Cameroun’), organized a meeting in Douala on Thursday, February 12, 2026. The meeting brought together the categories of enterprises or members of GECAM that are directly affected by the disorder or crisis at the Douala Port. These included importers and exporters, transit companies, and representatives of syndicates of professional groups operating at the Douala Port like SCADTC, UCAM, GPAC, CNCC, SYNEFOR, SIMC, and CROPLIFE.
According to a communiqué that was issued at the end of the February 12 meeting and signed by the President of GECAM, Celestin TAWAMBA, the meeting focused on the situation of coexistence of 2 operators (SGS and Transatlantic D) in the sector for the scanning of containers at the Douala Port, since the beginning of 2026. The meeting also examined possible solutions to the crisis, which had t be presented to the management of the Douala Port Authority, which is commonly known by the French acronym, PAD.
The Situation Is “Totally Unacceptable”
At the meeting, participants asserted that the current crisis that has been rocking the Douala Port since the beginning of this year is unprecedented, and denounced the situation as “totally unacceptable”. They as well asserted that the crisis has had severe effects on many companies in the country, as well as on the economy of the country. The participants at the meeting stated a number of ways in which enterprises are been affected by the crisis at the Douala Port. The stated for example that there has been an increase in the period of time that an importer or exporter spends to get his container through the Douala Port, reechoing the saying that time is money. The other point raised by the participants at the meeting, was that the long delay to get out containers at the Douala Port, has slowed production by local industries, as they are now unable to get imported raw materials they need, on time. The participants warned that the Douala Port may soon lead to an increase in the prices of products on the markets.
Another point of concern that was discussed, is that importers and exporters have since he beginning of the crisis, been forced to pay double for the scanning of a container, and thus there has been an increase of the cost of passing through the Douala Port with containers. The participants at the meeting as well noted that in the last few days, the container scanning sector at the Douala port has been completely paralyzed, and the process to pay customs duty also paralyzed, and as a result the loading or offloading of containers too have been paralyzed at the Port.
Three Key Demands
GECAM at the February 12 meeting adopted three key demands which the organization presented to the management of the Douala Port Authority. The first demand is that the situation at the Douala Port should be normalized immediately, by having only one operator in charge of scanning containers as before. A situation which GECAM asserted, will also reestablished the normal system of importers and exporters, having to pay scanning fee per container, only once. As for the second demand, GECAM called for the creation of a Mix Commission comprised of administration and the private sector, to evaluate the heavy cost that enterprises have suffered due to the crisis at the Douala Port, and also the total reimbursement of the losses suffered by enterprises. GECAM also demanded for the suspension of the increase in tariffs at the Douala Port, until there is an evaluation on the cost of the passage of merchandises at the port, and the effects on enterprises.
Ultimatum To PAD
Meanwhile as aforementioned, GECAM called on the management of PAD to urgently take the necessary measures to restore order at the Douala Port, by putting an effective end to the crisis. The GECAM communiqué ended with an ultimatum issued to the management of PAD. “En l’absence d’une isue definitive a cette crise, les Entreprises n’auront d’uatre alternative que de mettre en oeuvre, a titre conservatoire, des le Lundi 16 Fevrier 2026, une suspension temporaire des levees de Declaration d’importation et d’exportation, ainsi que des declaration en douane”. GECAM in the ultimatum said in case of a failure by PAD to immediately put a definite end to the crisis at the Douala Port, companies will have no alternative than to take some conservative measures starting Monday, February 16, 2026, by temporary suspending the declarations on imports and exports, as well as customs declaration, at the Douala Port.
PAD Reacts Immediately, But – –
Meanwhile there is no doubt from the look of things, that the management of the Douala Port Authority, was plunged into a state of panic by the GECAM communiqué, including the ultimatum issued to the PAD, on the crisis at the Douala Port., especially as it was clear that GECAM faulted PAD for the sad situation. As aforementioned, participants at the GECAM meeting included importers, exporters, transit companies and syndicates of professional groups, which are all major actors at the Douala Port. That these major actors faulted the management of PAD, for what they rightly termed as an unprecedented crisis at the Douala Port, left the management of PAD panicking and angry at GECAM, and especially at the companies and syndicates that participated at the meeting. The view of GECAM corroborates that of the Government and many observers, that the management of PAD is responsible or culpable for the crisis at the Douala Port.
In line with the general view of members of GECAM’s that attended the meeting that was organized by the organization on February 12 on the crisis at the Douala Port, the first of the three key demands that GECAM made to the management of PAD at the end of t the meeting, was that to normalize the situation at the Douala Port as before, there should be only one operator in charge of scanning merchandise in containers at the port. Here, there is no iota of doubt that GECAM put culpability for the crisis at the Douala Port, on the management of PAD that took the controversial action to forcefully bring in another operator, Transatlantic D, and is trying to force SGS Scanning Cameroun to accept to co-exist with the enterprise in the cargo scanning sector.
PAD Stopped Short Of Branding Participants At The GECAM Meeting As Traitors
Meanwhile PAD in its rapid reaction to the communiqué of GECAM, in its own communiqué issued on that same February 12 by the Director of Communication in the corporation, Minlo Simplice Raoul, evaded the main issue raised by GECAM, as been the main causes of the crisis. That is, the bringing in by PAD of a second operator (Transatlantic D), to the cargo scanning sector at the Douala Port.
Rather, PAD instead blame GECAM that the corporation (PAD) which is a member of organization, was not invited to the February 12 meeting. PAD in the communiqué was the more furious at the companies and syndicates that participated at the GECAM meeting, and in fact just stopped short of branding them as traitors. PAD said the same companies and syndicates have been attending meeting convened by the corporation, and was surprised that they could go to a meeting at GECAM and criticize the management of PAD.
While it remains to be seen what will happen at the Douala Port today, Monday, February 16, it can be clearly seen from the reaction of PAD, that the leadership of GECAM was wise not to have invited the corporation to the February 12 meeting. It is clear that if PAD attended the meeting, it would have done everything to disrupt frank or free discussions, by using blackmail against the companies and syndicates that operate at the Douala Port.
