British Diplomat Lauds Cameroon's Business Progress

Bharat Suresh Joshi had a farewell audience with the Minister of Finance Friday September 6.

Outgoing British High Commissioner to Cameroon, Bharat Suresh Joshi, has lauded strides in improving the hitherto hostile business climate in Cameroon. The British diplomat said when he just arrived in Cameroon; everybody was telling him that it was hard to do business here in the country.

"Contrary, we have realised that each of our investors has augmented his/her market shares. For example, we have enterprises involved in several sectors of the economy; energy, hydrocarbons, service etc and who are doing good businesses in Cameroon," he said. The strides notwithstanding, much still needs to be done but Bharat Suresh Joshi said Cameroon's situation is not peculiar. "It is true that it is not easy but when I talk with investors all over in the world, I see that it is never easy to do business. I don't have the impression that Cameroon is more difficult than other countries," he observed.

Speaking to the press after a farewell audience granted him on Friday September 6 by Finance Minister, Alamine Ousmane Mey, the outgoing UK High Commissioner also appreciated changes in the country which he noted set Cameroon on the path of becoming an emerging country by 2035. These include the investment code, programme budgeting which he said, is a significant change on how government money is spent. On the weight of UK's development assistance in Cameroon, Bharat Joshi said historically it has done relatively little.

"One of the things we know more than anything is that trade much more than aid drags people out of poverty. UK industries have been investing in Cameroon. A lot of people have heard of Joule Africa which is running a 1.3 billion dollar project to create 500 MW of energy in the North West Region. There are others like Guinness Cameroon that is getting back to sponsoring the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, Standard Chartered Bank, which supports projects like the Kribi Gas Fired Plant. These firms are recruiting Cameroonians who are refusing to be corrupt and are helping to develop the economy," he said.