The Yaounde Multipurpose Sports Complex hosted the opening ceremony of the maiden Extraordinary Congress of Bayam-Sellam of Cameroon, the Diaspora and other actors in the informal sector on 5 March 2021. The Minister of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, personal representative of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, presided over the opening ceremony in the presence of important personalities of the city.
Under the distinguished patronage of the Prime Minister, the theme of the meeting was: “Impacts, Consequences, Strategy for the inclusive revival of IGAs of the social and solidarity economy during the pandemic”. For two days, it was about presenting the association’s main projects, mobilising ASBY members from the ten Regions and other social and solidarity economy actors, in order to federate their ideas around this platform that brings them together. The aim was to make a common front against the impacts and negative consequences of the health crisis linked to the coronavirus on their income-generating activities, but also to build the capacities of the participants on the resurgence and mutation of Covid-19; to edify the participants on the vaccination coverage in Cameroon, notably by presenting the justification of the vaccine; to edify them on the use of ICTs; and to present to the actors of social and solidarity economy strategies for the revival of their income-generating activities. The proceedings were animated by presentations of facilitators and in interaction with the learners.
Mrs MBALA BILOA, President and founder of ASBY announced in her speech the launching in the coming days of the ASBY Microfinance called MASBY whose headquarters will be in Nsam district in the city of Yaoundé. She thanked the Cameroon Government for its support, represented by the Minister of SMESEH and declared: “This microfinance was set by them (buyam sellam), managed by them and for them”. “We are sure that with the Government, social and solidarity economy will be a success,” she concluded.
Minister Achille Bassilekin III congratulated the Chairperson of ASBY for this initiative and her dynamism, and asked her to remain worthy of the trust placed in her by Mrs Chantal Biya the First Lady, patroness of the association. According to him, the choice of the theme of the congress will make it possible to popularise the integration tools set up by ASBY in order to guarantee a better migration of bayam-sellam from the informal sector to the formal sector. Among other instruments, ASBY has undertaken in the framework of contributions, the possibility for bayam-sellam to be affiliated to National Social Insurance Fund (NSIF) in order to benefit at the moment from a peaceful retirement; and it has set up an Approved Management Centre. “It is all these instruments put together that will allow the migration of ASBY members, and further encourage the solicitude and support from the Government. The Minister concluded by assuring Mrs MBALA BILOA that the Government is sensitive to the various actions they are carrying out through ASBY.