In a bid to boost Cameroons economic growth and strengthen cooperation ties through strategic partnership alliances, a Dutch economic and trade mission headed by H.E To Tjoelker-Kleve, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Cameroon has been received in audience on March 21st 2022 by the Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts H.E Achille BASSILEKIN III.
Accompanied by Mr. Martin ABEGA, Honorary Consul of the Netherlands in Cameroon alongside other Dutch investors and economic operators, the objective of the meeting was to identify Dutch structures that can support the modernization of production units in Cameroon. As such, much concentration of this support is in the technical and financial assistance available for the growth and development of the agro-industry sub-sectors, textile-clothing-leather and forest-wood. This audience was also an opportunity for both personalities to establish strategic partnerships between the economic operators of the two countries with prospects of facilitating Dutch investments which are likely to promote technology transfer for the benefit of Cameroonian SMEs working both in the field of production and transformation of goods. It should also be underlined that the Dutch digital infrastructure houses a strong network of start-ups and global IT companies.
Talking to the media, the Dutch ambassador declared that “the exchange is a beginning of a trade mission of about ten Dutch enterprises that wish to amplify and explore their entrepreneurial ventures in Cameroon, explore as well as create partnership deals with Cameroonian enterprises with whom they can carry out business transactions especially within the framework of the value and production chain, how to produce and transform made in Cameroon products using Cameroon- Dutch technology”. She went forth to mention that Dutch enterprises are set to play a great a role in Cameroons economic vision.
Worthy to mention that the main industries in the Netherlands are the agricultural industry, metal and machine building, the manufacture of electrical appliances and tools, chemical production, petrochemicals, construction and micro-electronics. The Netherlands is also ranked 8th in the World Economic Forum‘s Global Competitiveness Index. Thanks to a large number of international companies that work closely with a dense network of local SMEs, the Netherlands have set up an attractive system for foreign investment.
Note that on at the initiative of the Embassy of Cameroon in the Netherlands, an Economic and Cultural Week of Cameroon in the Netherlands has been announced to take place from May 10th to 15th 2022. This week is out to revitalize cooperation ties between the two countries, attract Dutch investments in Cameroon as well as create opportunities for economic operators.