Customers who want to sweeten
their coffee may be out of luck at Kum Jeanette's restaurant in Yaounde. Sugar
is in short supply these days in Cameroon, as the government cracks down on
illegal imports to protect and promote local industry.
"For several weeks now, I
have been going round looking for sugar,” Kum said. “It is scarce in town and,
when you see it, the price is high. We used to buy for 700 [CFA, or $1.20] but
now that we do not even see it, when you manage to see it you buy for 1,000
francs [$1.71] per packet."
Cameroon produces less than
120,000 tons of sugar each year. Local demand stands at 200,000 tons.