(Business in Cameroon) - The Cameroonian public airline company, Camair Co, is far worse off than it might seem. In an interview that he just granted to the government paper Quotidien, the Cameroonian Transport Minister, Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o, describes a company that is almost in agony. "Our national airline company is facing undeniable problems. Its costs are greatly above its operating revenues and the operating loss is around FCfa 1.5 billion monthly", he reveals.

But the more serious problem, continues Minister Mebe Ngo’o, is the company's supplier debt "which is extremely huge", since it is today "estimated at about FCfa 35 billion". This debt is all the more worrying as, the government member stresses, a large proportion of the debt is claimed by "blocking suppliers whose debt is due in the short term and whose non payment can stop operation at any time. This is notably the case for aircraft rentals, suppliers of fuel, ground service assistance, air navigation services".

Having recalled that "just like the Indomitable Lions and the Cameroonian army, Camair Co constitutes a true national cause which Cameroonians should not be indifferent to", Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o however refuses to believe that this spells the end of the company which was launched only some years ago."If the health of Camair Co is very troubling, our national company is far from being condemned to die", he claims ; in citing notably the audit ordered by the government, as well as the recovery plan of the company being drawn up and assigned to Boeing Consulting.

In its first recommendations to the government, the consulting firm indicates that if Camair Co wishes to compete in an air transport marketplace that is more and more competitive in Cameroon, it must acquire a fleet of 14 aircraft, against the current 5 aircraft. This will require new investments and above all substantial financial means, in a context of recurring pressures on public funding.

BRM