At the end of two days of intense work, the Minister of SMESEH Achille BASSILEKIN III recalled the strong recommendations to be studied comprehensively and to be taken into account, if necessary, within the framework of the elaboration of public policies that are always more appropriate and able to respond to the concerns of the people and especially actors of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Approved Management Centres are required to provide support to simplify the process for SMEs to join their centres. After the discussion on 16 November 2022, it will be necessary to see how best to simplify procedures to enable targets to massively join AMCs through the designation of focal points of line ministries. It is also strongly hoped that the drafting of the specifications and code of ethics will be finalised in the days ahead. Without these instruments it will be difficult to respond to the request for networking with similar institutions at the international level. AMCs were also instructed to ensure the effective supervision and monitoring of their members so that they feel taken care of and become more lively and enthusiastic.
The Ministry of Finance was recommended to broaden the scope of SMEs which can benefit from incentives, particularly by adding SMEs with a turnover of 100 million to those with a turnover of 250 million. By increasing the number of SMEs that should benefit from the advantages of AMC membership in order to comply with the law on the promotion of SMEs, support and membership will be strengthened within the framework of this tax compliance.
Public authorities are also encouraged to introduce a single synthetic local tax covering all taxes collected by regional and local authorities in order to improve the clarity of these tax operations, so that this will lead to more appropriate treatment of taxpayers and, above all, to securing local revenues.
Enterprises Creation Procedures Centres were recommended to proactively provide newly created SMEs, or include in their creation process, information on the advantages of membership in AMC.
It is important that a monitoring/evaluation body involving MINPMEESA and AMCs be rapidly set up so that the recommendations are followed by practical actions. The government intends to rely on these measures to boost growth and, above all, to stimulate economic recovery.
Expressed gratitude
By inviting various actors to an inclusive participation in the current and future challenges to be tackled, the Minister of SME heartily thanked them. The first words of gratitude were expressed to the Governor of the West Region for his involvement which contributed to the smooth running of the activities. Then he commended the Mayor of the City of Bafoussam for mobilising the people and also commended them for their massive participation. Representatives of line ministries were commended for the effective synergy observed and joint involvement to spread the government’s message. Various experts were commended for their presentations which helped to enlighten participants on the incentives stipulated by the President of the Republic and implemented under the leadership of Prime Minister Chief Dr. Dion Ngute, as well as on innovations of regulations in force. To SME promoters and representatives of umbrella organisations, he expressed his gratitude for the elaboration of recommendations which encourages dialogue to be continued because challenges will be tackled thanks to their participation.
The Minister ended his speech by stating that the 7th edition of the awareness-raising caravans on Approved Management Centres for the West and North West regions has entered a new inclusive format. This one has the special feature of mobilising economic actors from at least two regions, in a context of consolidating tax compliance and great mobilisation of energies to enable the country to take a new turn in a vigorous and assertive way in the context of global slowdown of economic activity.