The Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Achille BASSILEKIN III, delivered a message of comfort to craftsmen of the Tsinga National Handicraft Centre on Thursday 11 April 2019.
During the exchanges he had with the Minister, Mr. Salifou POUAMON, Chairperson of the craftsmen of the said centre listed a host of grievances amongst which were: administrative bottlenecks with customs services during export and limited accommodation capacity, with close to 400 craftsmen sharing 32 stalls.
Reacting to the first grievance, the Minister reassured them that measures are being
taken in conjunction with the Customs Department and the Ministry of Forestry and
Wildlife, for the facilitation of the export of their craft products. He reiterated to the
craftsmen Government's constant support intended in the nearest future, to transform this centre into a Handicraft Training Centre, aimed at reinforcing the activities of the Yaoundé International Handicraft Centre (CIAY).
He exhorted them to display a spirit of competitiveness, for the CIAY shall only be
opened to the talented, since it is Cameroon's handicraft showcase, he declared. The Minister's contact visit ended with a guided tour of the 32 stalls, each housing three to four craftsmen.
