BY NDUMBE BELL GASTON IN DOUALA
A target of 100 billion has been set as the new challenge for the subcontractors and Partnership Exchange (SPX-CMR) in their efforts to subcontract businesses from large corporations in favour of Small and Medium-Sized enterprises (SMEs) and Industries.
The target was made public at the precincts of the SPX-CMR in Akwa, during a working visit of the minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Serge Etoundi Ngoa, last Wednesday February 28 at a press briefing that held after deliberations with insiders among other collaborators.
In his statements of encouragement, the minister acknowledged that the SPX-CMR had managed to bid FCFA 86 billion in 2017 for SMEs, under inadequate and painstaking conditions which according him, was a huge achievement, and went on to congratulate the workforce for their efforts.
The General Manager of the structure, Evariste Yameni recounted the state of affairs and the badly needed space for a modern structure of the office. Minister Serge Etoundi Ngoa stressed the need for a more disciplined office advising that even though discipline had not crossed the red line, it was to be checked, since it was an essential climate to improve on performances, among others.
Participants were reminded on the need for the creation of subcontractors and Partnership Exchange in 2010 where the country had been a huge construction site for electric dams, airports, office buildings, road infrastructures and industries funded by International donors. Reimbursing these amounts will not be easy for the country alone without giving a share to Small and Medium-Sized Industries or enterprises.
“We came to spur you to do the more, you are able to bid for more business from multinational and other country corporations so that we can also be included into the development process. We think that this amount is a good result, so working like this till next year we can reach the FCFA 100 billion mark.”, the minister told the SPX-CMR team.
In the press briefing that followed he said that now that many things are expected in the country, hospitals, hotels, infrastructures like roads, will be areas they would like SMEs to bid for business from larger corporations. The minister said a new law and a new building site for their headquarters are being awaited to reinforce new objectives.