200 companies sensitized against corruption in Cameroon

Some 200 companies have been sensitized to assist with the fight against corruption after the national coalition, Business council for Africa (BCA) Cameroon, took stock of its partnership with the German cooperation (GIZ) on Friday in Yaoundé.

“Paying to get a job, an internship, a credit or simply a free service is corruption. It also includes giving bribe to review or reduce taxes, renew license or to contract a market subject to competition."

These were some of the forms of corruption in businesses revealed at the closing ceremony of the partnership between the German Cooperation GIZ and the Business council for Africa (BCA) Cameroon in Yaoundé.

The fruit of this partnership denominated as the National Business Coalition against corruption or Business Coalition against Corruption (BCAC), "aims to assist the Cameroon government in improving the business environment and goal to be an emerging economy in 2035," according to Ralph Manyi, president of BCA. He stated that the partnership signed in 2011 was completed on June 30. The time was therefore the balance sheet judged successful by GIZ.

According to Petra Zimmermann-Steinhart of German cooperation, the objectives were more.

"We have provided training and sharing of experiences on topics related to integrity, ethics, governance, compliance and corruption in the workplace. We wanted to build a coalition of at least 150 companies that will assist with the fight against corruption. Today, more than 240 structures were formed with over 500 sensitized individuals. So we aim beyond the usual," she stressed.

In its projects, the BCAC has also prominently signed a cooperation contract with Groupement Inter Employers of Cameroon (GICAM), signed a second cooperation agreement with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on July 15 and with another employer group on July 17.

In partnership with the press, media’s long dwelt on the relationship of the coalition with the NACC, have been deemed inefficient. Irene Morikang Tche, representative of the commission, ensures that the fight against corruption needs precisely the contribution of structures like the BCAC to be effective.

“In short, it is a collective commitment and everyone is to follow the good example,” she said.