BY NDUMBE BELL JOSEPH GASTON IN DOUALA
Relentless efforts to forge partnership between the SME Development Centre of Gicam the largest interpatronal grouping of Cameroon, and the Group of French-speaking Employers also known as GPF, is in the offing.
The initiative is spear-headed by Gicam’s Chairman of the Steering Committee of SMEs, Joel Sikam who is the CEO of FISCO Sarl, a manufacturer-industrialist specialised in the production and marketing of cleaning solutions and parapharmaceutical products.
The discussions are confirmed by sources to have held in Paris where Joel met the President of the Group of French-Speaking Employers, Jean-Lou Blanchier to notch a deal that is intended to enrich Cameroon’s transnational trade, experience and upgrade their competitivity within SMEs in Cameroon.
and Jean-Lou Blanchier of GPF
Gicam’s spokesman made the objectives clearer when he said the partnership will put more food on their tables and ignite greater opportunities.
“An alliance with GPF will give new horizons to the Cameroonian SMEs in the sense that they will have access to new financial actors established in the GPF member states. … we have the opportunity to expose the local SME to a broader and more qualified basket of investors, financiers and consulting firms which can boost their robustness… gain participation in world-class trade fairs, give better visibility and competitivity to made in Cameroon products and services”.
Gicam noted that SMEs, however, have to overcome drawbacks such as inefficiency, accountability and transparency before benefiting from the opportunities offered.