SCTM Gas Scarcity: Gov’t Pushes Urgent Action

F ollowing the market supply disruption of the Cameroonian company of metallic transfor­ mation (SCTM) fondly called the “red bottle gas”, which began in June 2026, the Government of Ca­ meroon through the Minister of Water and Energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, has amplified efforts to mitigate the ripple effect of the brand’s scarcity on local consumers. Accordingly, the Government has instructed the Director General of the Hydrocarbons Prices Stabiliza­ tion Fund (CSPH), Okie Johnson Ndoh to conduct consultations bet­ ween SCTM and its creditors to find tangible solutions to amicably solve the debts owed by SCTM. Being a major player in the Lique­ fied Petroleum Gas (LPG) distribu­ tion chain with a cumulative 50 per cent market share holding, SCTM’s market scarcity has left thousands of families and a plethora of businesses who rely on its avai­ lability for steady energy supplies stranded. This has enhanced brand hoarding and consequent price hikes from gas vendors. According to a local restaurant owner in Yaounde, Marie Abena, “gas sellers are asking for double the official selling price of FCFA 6,500, rising up to FCFA 12,000-13,000 for the 12.5-kilo­ gram cylinder of filled gas." She la­ mented that...