In a Communique issued by the office of the Prime Minister today January 31st 2023, the government of Cameroon has announced some measures to sustain consumers in the face of rising prices of goods and services. They include an increase in the salary of civil servants by 5.2 percent. The increment is a measure to boost purchasing power of consumers given the rise in fuel prices and inflation of basic commodities.
Further in the communique it is said that the minimum wage rate shall be examined for a possible increase to 41,875 FCFA, as a measure to strengthen financial power in the face of inflation. The government also plans to work with trade unions snd consumer associations in order to curb inflationary tendencies.
The price of kerosene maintains at 350FCFA a liter and the price of domestic gas remains at 6,500 FCFA. It is mentioned in the communique that these prices remain unchanged as a social support measure to guarantee purchasing power of consumers.
The communique announcing the increase in salary amidst measures to manage inflation was issued shortly after an announced price increase of two hydrocarbon products. These include petrol from 630 FCFA to 730 FCFA francs a liter and diesel from 545 FCFA to 720 FCFA .
The supposedly salary increase of 5.2% will leave civil servants in ecstasy and jubilation. Some will think it’s government benevolence but it’s nothing of the sort. If we consider that fuel prices have been increased by close to 20%, then the salary increase is nothing. What we shall witness will be an increase in prices of everything in the markets with traders thinking that they too should benefit from the salary increase. This will leave the civil servant worse off than before the increase. The government just punished the civil servants. Just buying fuel will take away all the increase and more. It’s just a political gimmick and not any kind of benevolent act.