Govt pledges to encourage industrialisation

The government of Cameroon, through the first Technical Adviser of the Prime Minister, Prof Touna Mama, has assured development partners of its willingness to encourage industrialisation of the country’s economy.

They also pledged to decongest the Douala Seaport so as to facilitate trade and maintain win-win cooperation with all investors.

Prof Touna Mama was speaking in Yaounde on 19 March, 2015 at the Imsofer production site in the Coron neighbourhood in Yaounde as he led an inter-ministerial delegation to demonstrate government’s acknowledgment of the company’s support to the country’s industrialisation process.

The Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, Emmanuel Bonde, said government could not play the deaf and dumb game, given the added value of the company to the country’s economic growth.

The technology the company was using to produce finished and semi-finished products like chocolate and cocoa blocks, respectively was simple, easy for local entrepreneurs to tap in terms of experience. Most especially is the company’s usage of raw material like Cameroon’s cocoa for processing.

It imports other raw materials like milk and sugar and its products are said to be perishable. The Central African Sub-region and Asia are fertile markets to Imsofer’s products not leaving out the local market.

Established in 2006, Imsofer, according to its Deputy General Manager, Andrea Fessia, employs over 200 persons. While admitting that the situation at the port was real and retarding production, Andrea Fessia nevertheless recognised that it was impossible to wake up one day and decongest the Douala Seaport.

He said they opted for a special transport means in the form of dredging ships to speedy goods clearance. He praised government efforts to seek lasting solutions to companies contributing to the country’s Gross Domestic Product that are facing difficulty at the Douala Seaport.

He revealed Imsofer’s realisation of two social and humanitarian projects – rehabilitation of a pediatric department in the St Martin de Porrès in Etoug-Ebe, Yaounde and the construction of a Kindergarten School in Cité Verte, Yaounde.

The Italian Ambassador to Cameroon, Samuela Isofa, said their goal is to show “an example of the success stories in industrialisation that binds her country and Cameroon.”