By Doh James Sonkey
The Ministry of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts and the Groupement des Entreprises du Cameroun (GECAM) are currently exploiting ways to usher in a new era for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, SMEs.
Minister Achille Bassilekin III granted an audience last June 11, 2024 at his cabinet at the Emergence Ministerial Building in Yaounde to the new management team of GECAM, following the GICAM-ECAM merging and the holding last April 9, 2024 of the General Assembly which gave rise to the election of the very first Board of Directors of the new entity.
GECAM President, Celestin Tawamba and Minister Achille Bassilekin III
The delegation of GECAM was led by its President, Célestin Tawamba and they explored ways of boosting collaboration between the Ministry of Small and Medium Size Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts and GECAM whose 2/3 of its members are SMEs.
Celestin Tawamba revealed that GECAM has made it a point of honour to support SMEs, and MINPMEESA, in carrying out its missions and agreed upon: ways of strengthening the mutual partnership by raising awareness among SMEs and targeting actions to be implemented in order to capitalise on existing instruments, programmes and schemes in favour of SMEs or those yet to be defined. Focus is also on the implementation of joint operations within the framework of the SME Development Centre set up by GICAM in 20216; synergy of inter-company actions (SMES and large companies that are members of GECAM) to improve the performance of SMEs, subcontracting activities, boosting local content in the production of goods and services, technology transfer and improving human skills.
As part of its strategy, MINPMEESA is deploying its support to SMEs by implementing the import-substitution policy and is focusing on support for the production, processing and certification of goods and services produced by SMEs.
This collaboration between MINPMEESA and GECAM will therefore be decisive on the path to achieving the National Development Strategy (SND 30), in which SMEs and large companies remain the key players.