“Out Of A Total Of 121,873 Kms of Cameroon’s Road Network, Only 10,225 Kms, which is 9 % , is Tarred”, GECAM’s President, Celestin Tawamba

Tawamba says besides the construction of roads, the principal challenge for Government remains the maintenance of existing roads.

Questions the use of the money collected from toll gates across the country on each and every day.

The President of  the  organization of enterprises in Cameroon commonly known by the French acronym, GECAM, Celestin Tawamba, has disclosed that official statistics show that as by December 31, 2023, that is the end of last year, only a total of 10,225 kms , that is 9 %, of the total of 121,873 kms of Cameroon’s road network, have been tarred. It should be noted that the 10,225 kms of tarred roads included those that have so badly broken down like the Douala – Bafoussam Highway, which has become more of a death trap because of its very poor state.

Speaking on the topic, Road Infrastructures and Transport, in a preliminary presentation at a meeting with the media in Douala on September 18, 2024, the President of GECAM said besides the construction of roads in the country, the principal challenge that the Government faces remains the maintenance of existing roads. He said last month GECAM called the attention of the Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, to what he aptly described as the “disastrous” state of National Roads No. 3 and No. 5. It should be noted that National Road No. 3 is the Yaounde – Edea – Douala – Limbe – Idenau Highway, while National Road No. 5 is the Douala – Nkongsamba – Bafoussam Highway. Tawamba also described the state of these two very important highways as ‘inedit’, meaning that the deplorable state of these roads is at a level that has never been seen before.

Landlocked Neighbouring Countries

The GECAM President also cited National Road No. 1 which runs through the Grand North, and as well links Cameroon to neighbouring Chad, as well as the road that links Cameroon to neighbouring Central African Republic, CAR. He noted that these highways are also in a very bad state. Talking about the two neighbouring and sisterly counties, CAR and Chad, the President of GECAM pointed out that these landlocked countries are served by the Douala and Kribi Ports in Cameroon, and that the poor state of roads greatly affects the transportation of goods from the Douala and Kribi Ports to these countries, and vice versa.  He noted that besides the Douala – Yaounde highway that links up with the highway heading to the northern part of the country and up to Chad, many trucks that leave the Douala Port to head for Chad, also use the Douala – Bafoussam  – Foumban – Ngaoundere Highway.

With the Douala – Yaounde and Douala – Bafoussam Highways being in a very bad state, these transporters are in real trouble, without an alternative road that is in good state.  Added to this is the very poor state of National Road No. 1. The GECAM President noted that transporters are facing a lot of financial losses through accidents as well as the frequent breakdown of their trucks, due to bad roads. The maintenance cost of the trucks, have become very high due to bad roads.

Tawamba as well asserted that roads that are in poor state, with potholes all over the place as National Roads No. I, 3 and 5 have become, also cause lots of delays or slowdowns to vehicles, and that also means financial losses for the transporters. A journey, that would have taken about four days for a turck, ends up talking more than a week, because of bad roads. It should be noted that many of these transport companies that transport goods from the Douala and Kribi Ports to the two neighbouring countries and vice versa, are Cameroonian enterprises.

  Local Businesses Also Incurring Lots of Losses Due to Bad Roads

The President of GECAM stated that local transporters are facing the same situation of frequently incurring financial losses because of bad roads. He noted that there are many accidents and breakdowns, that both local transporters of passengers and goods, do suffer these days, that are caused by the poor state of roads.  Business people like traders are also facing a lot of problems due to bad roads. It is for example difficult for business persons to buy goods in the nation’s economic capital, Douala, or to get their imported goods from the Douala Port, and transport them to their  shops in  towns like Bafoussam,  Nkongsamba, Kumba, Yaounde, Bamenda and so on, because of bad roads.

Thus there are many businesses in different parts of the country that cannot easily get supplies on time, because of bad roads which cause slowdown in circulation.  The bad roads and slowdowns also increase the transport cost for business people to transport their goods. Also, due to bad roads, it is very difficult to transport products, including food stuffs, from production basins which are mostly in rural areas, to the towns for sale.  Food stuffs from the farms are generally perishable products, and so some of the food stuffs get bad on the way due, to the slowdowns in transportation caused by bad roads.  The GECAM Boss asserted that this situation of bad roads cause big financial losses to farmers or economic operators in the agricultural sector, and also contributes to the high cost of food stuffs in the towns.

The President of GECAM, who is an industrialist, said the absence of good roads  in the country, is also one of the main reasons why big companies, including industries, rarely install in rural areas and towns that are enclave. He said that is why generally, only SMEs (Small and Size Enterprises) are commonly found in those areas.

Slows Down Economic Growth / Toll Gates

Tawamba explained that the slowdown in transportation due to bad roads, with the consequences of delays in the supply of goods as well as food stuffs and other things, are having disastrous consequences on economic activities across the country. He explained that all these compromise the efforts of Government and the private sector to fight against inflation. He asserted that the situation of roads in Cameroon slowdown economic growth, or better still slowdown development.

The President of GECAM stressed that the disastrous state of roads in the country cannot be allowed to continue, and called on Government to urgently look for funds, as well as others means, including public –private partnership, to fund major road networks in the country.

The GECAM Boss also stated that the very poor state of almost all roads in Cameroon brings to mind the tollgates on our roads. He noted that a number of automatic toll gates were recently constructed to add to the existing ones which are not automatic tollgates. The President of GECAM recalled that Cameroonians were told by Government that the principal mission of tollgates is to raise funds for road maintenance. But he said there is need to question the judicious use of the money raised from tollgates on each and every day, considering the non – maintenance of roads, as the state of our roads glaringly show.