By DOH JAMES SONKEY
Within the framework of participative consultations on the second phase of Vision 2035, Government has received contributions from over 300 heads of enterprises, economic operators, presidents of associations, business owners and inter-professional groups.
The consultation with the business community last July 29, 2019 at Sawa Hotel in Douala was earlier preceded by that of the population in all the regions, Parliamentarians, technical and financial partners of Cameroon.
Acknowledging economic operators as wealth and job creators, the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey who was accompanied at the occasion by Minister Delegate, Paul Tasong underlined that preparation for this second phase would be incomplete without a powerful implication of the private sector.
The second phase which starts in 2020, the Minister reiterated, aims at making Cameroon a country of intermediary higher salary bracket.
He told reporters that “it is a pleasure for us to be in Douala within the consultative approach of the private sector in view of preparing the second phase of the Growth and Employment Strategic Paper. This is an opportunity for us to assess what has been done in the past and we are proud to say that despite a difficult economic situation, Cameroon has been able to reach averagely 4.6% growth rate. This is certainly below our target as the base was 5.5% but with the current situation and crisis Cameroon is facing, one could be happy with this achievement. We have to step up our growth rate up to close to 10%, investment, primary and secondary sectors etc. This is the reason why within this consultative framework we are sure to benefit from the contribution of the private sector as key stakeholders in Cameroon’s emergence by 2035. The private sector has shared with us here some of the impediments on the way to emergence. After identifying that together, we elaborated solutions that will lead to their better involvement and contribution.”