West enterprises sensitised on National Upgrading Programme

Some economic operators in the West Region have been enjoined to sign up to the National Upgrading Programme, NUP, in order to be competitive in the ever growing business world.

The Director of Enterprises Upgrading Office, known by its French acronym, BMN, Chantal Elombat Mbedey, was speaking to owners of enterprises in Bafoussam, during a campaign to inform and sensitise enterprises on the importance and eligibility criteria required to be part of the NUP. The meeting took place in the conference hall of ACAPLAMI.

Elombat said enterprises have a lot to gain if they adhere to the programme. “We want to make these enterprises to be competitive; that means to produce at low-cost but in good quality. I want all enterprises to be known, transparent and will want them not to be scared of taxes and also because everything is done in total confidentiality,” Elombat said.

She said many companies continue to shy away from the programme because they are scared of exposure, others fear that their shady deals may be uncovered. “They, however, forget that their enterprises need to be upgraded for best quality, to be transparent and competitive,” Elombat said, adding that out of 1,227 enterprises existing in the West Region, only 13 are adherents of the upgrading programme, hence, some 150 enterprises were invited for the sensitisation meeting.

In prelude to the sensitisation campaign, media practitioners in the Region were told to inform the population and economic operators on the need for them to improve on their businesses with the help of BMN.

Placed under the supervisory authority of the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, MINEPAT, the Enterprises Upgrading Office was created on December 16, 2011, to implement the National Competiveness Strategy. In partnership with the European Union, the mission of BMN is to implement Government policy in upgrading and restructuring of industrial enterprises in Cameroon.

NUP intends to upgrade 600 enterprises for the first phase of the programme, whereby 60 will be financed by the European Union within the framework of the Support Programme for the Improvement and the Competitiveness of the Economy of Cameroon, PACOM, sustain upgrading procedures and the growth of enterprises, reduce the impact of industrial production hazards on the environment by reinforcing standards and management systems of enterprises and laboratories, amongst others.

For effective results, each enterprise will benefit from a continuous and personalised follow-up during the different stages of upgrading process and team experts will act in terms of counselling and assistance.

Chairing the press conference, the Secretary-General at the West Governor’s Office, Simon Emile Mooh, called on the press to sensitise economic operators that BMN is not a sham or an instrument to dupe them, but to enable them ameliorate their enterprises and Cameroon in general, especially now that Cameroon is working towards emergence. He said this can only be done through good governance.