(Business in Cameroon) - The National Council of Shippers of Cameroon (CNCC) and the Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (APME) provided equipment to 150 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agri-food sector in the city of Douala on November 24, 2023.

The kits consist of scales, refractometers, alcohol meters, thermometers, sealers, and date stamps. According to the Director-General of APME, Jean-Marie Louis Badga, and the Director of Assistance to Shippers at CNCC, Claire Onana Takouchop, this equipment will be used to determine the exact weight of products, their alcohol content, temperature, etc. "They will enable the beneficiaries to improve the quality of their products, better develop their businesses, and even consider exports in the coming years," the donors explained.

The support is part of the strategic partnership developed between CNCC and APME to support economic operators. Since September 24, 2020, the two public administrative establishments have been bound by a partnership agreement that combines their efforts for the promotion of foreign trade. It is in this context, as stated by APME, that three SMEs (Ets Publi G Concept, in the agri-food sector; Saveurs du Cameroun, in the restaurant sector; and Afikulture Sarl, in the wood processing sector) already benefit from facilities to encourage a minimal investment of CFA3.2 billion.

SMEs represent 95% of Cameroon's economic fabric. However, they contribute only 36% to the country's GDP.