Both parties are working together to promote the blossom Cameroonian SMEs
On the 4 September 2020, the Minister of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts received in audience, at his Cabinet, Mrs. MASUDA JUNKO, Resident Representative of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Cameroon.
During the exchanges, the two parties took stock of the relations they have been maintaining for several years with a view to improving the quality and productivity of Cameroonian SMEs. They also reviewed the results recorded and exchanged on the activities in perspective.
Mrs. MASUDA JUNKO, who has come to the end of her stay in Cameroon, expressed her gratitude, on behalf of JICA, for all the support, the mobilisation of technical means and the dynamic and fruitful collaboration with MINPMEESA during the exercise of her duties. Both parties have ensured the effective implementation of the KAIZEN project launched by the organisation and which enabled the turnover of several SMEs to increase by at least 40%. Indeed, in terms of training, nearly 116 consultants were trained and about 800 companies throughout the country benefited from support services thanks to the said project. MINPMEESA staff have also benefited from the collaboration as they received training grants over the last two years.
With a view to participating in the development of SMEs, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has launched the KAIZEN Award for startups and organisations from 18 African countries, invested in several sectors of activity. The selection criterion was mainly based on the production of goods and services contributing to the fight against Covid-19. To date, the Cameroonian company called MSMI based in Douala and whose promoter is Mrs. CHICOT Audrey, won the prize, beating out 22 African companies.
After reviewing the positive results of this cooperation, Minister Achille BASSILEKIN III expressed his satisfaction. He expressed the gratitude of the Cameroonian Government to the Japanese Government. Mrs. MASUDA JUNKO facilitated, thanks to the financing granted by JICA, the acquisition by MINPMEESA of a master plan for the support of SMEs. The said plan led to the creation of the Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises (APME) as well as the Cameroonian Bank for SMEs (BCPME). The Minister expressed the wish to see this cooperation deepen further so that Cameroonian enterprises continue to benefit from the Japanese method.
Wishing the Resident Representative of JICA a safe journey back to her country, the Minister of SMESEH urged her “to continue to work so that the KAIZEN programme benefits from more resources for the greater benefit of Cameroon”. Mrs. MASUDA JUNKO promised to put special emphasis on Cameroon’s files for the granting of continuous support to Cameroonian SMEs.