UN, EU to upgrade industries In Cameroon

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation UNIDO, the European Union EU, and the Cameroon Government have expressed the need to have over 600 industrial enterprises across Cameroon.

Speaking in Bamenda during a two day national sensitisation Campaign for the voluntary adhesion of Enterprises to the National Upgrading Programme, NUP, the Director General of Upgrading Programme Office, Chantal Elombat Mbeoley, warned that ghost companies will not be upgraded or restricted.

The global objective of upgrading small and medium size enterprises, is to reinforce and sustain the competitiveness of the economy of Cameroon, through the improvement of production and the qualitative progression of enterprises.

The Enterprises Upgrading Office,it should be note, was created by a Prime Ministerial Order in 2011, to implement the National Competitiveness Strategy. It is placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development MINEPAT.

The Director of Upgrading Office of Enterprises expressed gratitude to the EU and UNIDO as technical partners, and related Ministries for their determination to restructure and upgrade industries in Cameroon.

The awaited results as outlined by Chantal Elombat include; sustained upgrading procedures and the growth of enterprises, operationalised statutory adjustments and institutions, train experts upgrade of 600 enterprises for the first phase of the programme, boost investment, create jobs, reduce the impact of industrial production hazards on the environment by reinforcing standards and management systems of enterprises and laboratories among others.

On eligibility, Elombat said the institution or group should have an annual industrial transformation tax free turn over of at least FCFA 50 million, be a Cameroonian.

Enterprise with majority shares locally owned and have at least two years of existence, belong to priority sectors such as; agro-processing, wood processing, textile-clothing, tourism, sub-contraction, chemical industries, leather and shoes, steel metals andwelding, electricity and derivatives, and civil engineering.

Encouraging most of the local enterprises to group themselves to be eligible to win most places out of the 600 industrial enterprises to be upgraded in the years ahead, the Director of Upgrading Enterprises said, “Mywish is for the Northwest to have the lion’s share of the 600 enterprises. The Government in its new Economic modernisation plan targets 600enterprises to be upgraded from 2014 to 2016 within the framework of the NUP being implemented by the BMU. This Phase shall be jointly financed by the Government and its partners. This financial package of FCFA 6million falls within the 10th EuropeanDevelopment Fund” Elombat stated.

KengariSghaien, Technical Adviser at UNP Office, said in two out of five European countries where upgrading of industries has taken place, these countries have become exporting nations of their goods.

“So, take the train of upgrading because the advantages are enormous.” Kengari averred.

For his part, the Inspector General at the Northwest Governor’s Office, Charles Ivo Makoge, who presided at the two day sensitisation campaign, said the upgrading of enterprises in a region like the Northwest that has no industries is most welcome because local enterprises will surely be transformed into potentials. He called on enterprises to avail them and register.