Old CPDM Tricks: Sonara to audit staff as part of refinery restructuring plan ⁰

Cameroon’s state-owned oil refinery Sonara has launched an audit of its human resources and career management. The company has opened a CFA80 million tender, according to a call for bids signed by Managing Director Bako Harouna.

The goal is to give management “an effective and lasting match between its workforce and its jobs, in terms of staffing, qualifications, and profiles.”

The selected firm will be tasked with reviewing staff numbers, evaluating the quality of job profiles, and assessing the alignment between skills and roles. The audit will also include an evaluation of the monitoring and control systems for human resources to determine whether they are suited to Sonara’s responsibilities and workload.

The review will extend to career management, including promotions, identifying shortcomings, and recommending improvements to boost management efficiency. It will also highlight areas where new human resources policies and procedures are needed.

The initiative follows the board of directors’ approval of an ambitious restructuring plan known as the Acceleration Plan for Restructuring and Rehabilitation Measures for Refining Recovery within 24 Months (Parras 24). The program aims to restore the refinery’s capacity to pre-2019 levels, before a fire destroyed part of its facilities.

Sonara has been out of operation for six years, adding to its debt burden with traders, banks, and the tax authorities. In this context, the staff audit is seen as a key step to determine whether the refinery has the skills needed for its industrial revival.

Source: Business in Cameroon