Audience on Thursday 22nd August between the President of GECAM, Célestin TAWAMBA and Abdoul Salam Bello, Administrator for the World Bank Group, Africa II Group.
Cette audience s’inscrivait dans le cadre de la tournée que conduit actuellement, Monsieur Abdoul Salam, au Cameroun afin d’évaluer l’état de la coopération entre le pays et l’institution.
L’escale dans les locaux du GECAM visait à marquer l’intérêt de l’institution pour une implication accrue du secteur privé dans le déploiement de la Banque Mondiale au Cameroun. Il a donc été question de recueillir le diagnostic, du point de vue du représentant du Patronat sur l’action publique et celle de la Banque afin d’identifier ensemble les pistes d’amélioration qui devraient permettre à la Banque de mieux interagir avec le secteur privé.
The convivial exchanges between the two personalities touched issues of concern of Employers because of their negative impact on the business environment and the development capacity of enterprises. These issues includes :
– The Fiscal policy, which remains a significant disincentive for businesses, particularly SMEs, being a contributing factor to the low level of business formalisation;
– The deterioration of road infrastructure, especially those linking the country’s economic centres;
– The energy, with delay in upgrading the electricity transmission and distribution network ;
– Access to finance, as a significant challenge for SMEs which are the foundation of the structural transformation of the economy. Despite the resources often allocated by the Bank through the IFC, the harsh conditions imposed by financial institutions make it difficult for SMEs to secure the funding they need to grow;
– Finally, the need to rebuild public-private dialogue to make it more effective for the provision of solutions to the different problems identified.
The President of GECAM also highlighted the complexity of the IFC’s support arrangements for the private sector, which made it challenging to assess the contribution being made. He called for a reformulation of the arrangements to ensure they are more aligned with the environment in which our economies operate.
The Administrator’s reassuring remarks demonstrated his awareness of the issues raised, some of which are already being addressed by the public authorities. He is also committed to bring the concerns of the private sector, particularly in terms of financing to the attention of the Bank’s senior management, with a view to redefining the Bank’s approach to the private sector.
