Oif supports SMEs

A support project, initiated since 2005 by la Francophonie was presented in Douala, Tuesday, June 23.

Access to public procurement for development, thus comes the acronym Amade, presented on June 23 in Douala made the presentation a meeting at the Chamber of Commerce, industry, Mines and crafts (Ccima), which took part representatives of several French-speaking African countries.

This is a mechanism initiated by the International Organization of la Francophonie (Oif) in 2005, and which aims to improve the positioning of local SMEs in the beneficiary countries in public procurement.

More specifically, the association aims to improve the capacity of intermediary organizations of the private sector to support companies to facilitate their access to public procurement and to improve the capacity of these actors to participate in the public-private dialogue on rules and regulation of public procurement.

Christophe Eken, Chairman of CCIMA, returned to the pitfalls regularly encountered by SMEs, "who constitute the bulk of the economic fabric of our country, but paradoxically do not benefit from the impact of public procurement.

Among other recurring problems, lack of access to information, the small relative size companies, the absence of sharing, etc.

For the Ivorian Assoumo N’goran, representing the president of the association Amadé, SMEs have an interest to unite to overcome obstacles, develop new skills, innovation and access to new networks.

After these interventions and other exchanges, the seat of Amade in Cameroon (housed at the Ccima) was inaugurated, and a standby and sharing procurement platform launched.