The Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Promotion Agency (SMEPA) has begun taking concrete steps towards implementing governments 2020-2030 national development strategy in the domain of local productions and import substitution.
SMEPA Deputy GM, Ewusi Eric opening workshop in Yaounde
A training workshop to this effect was organized for owners of SMEs on improvement of the packaging, branding of made in Cameroon products under the Cameroon Food Packaging and Quality programme (CAMPACK-Q). It held Thursday 27 May 2021 at the Jean XXIII Centre at Mvolye, Yaounde.
As explained by SMEPA Deputy General Manager, Ewusi Eric, the workshop was a follow-up of earlier studies launched on the possibilities of good business practices for SMEs in terms of using the principle of safety and hygiene in the food processing processes.
Ewusi said contrary to the lack of finances which many owners of SMEs consider as they main challenge, there exists many informalities in the sector that needs urgent readjustment to comply with standard good business practices.
“Today we are trying to evaluate the pilot phase which was launched earlier on. We think that we are on good footing to improve on it and try and see how concretely we can help SMEs to actually respect processes of producing,” Ewusi said.
The training hinged on seeing how to formalize SMEs to ensure product traceability, certification, manufacturing quality, normalization which to Ewusi are all important components which if not taken seriously would hinder entrepreneurs from obtaining loans from banks for their projects.
Implementation of best practices standards within SMEs and increasing production of made in Cameroon packaging, he added, will help reduce over importation in packing industry which cost close to over 40 billion as revealed by experts.
He said SMEPA will begin by handing the mindsets of the entrepreneurs by teaching them the importance of good practices in giving visibility to their products which he also added is necessary in realizing the 2020-2030 development agenda.
Experts in the sectors drawn from different enterprises schooled SMEs on the challenges of conformity of local products in the international market, collaborative management of packaging equipment, support measures for visibility of supported SMEs among others.
Fabris Ekeu, Chief Executive Officer of GS1 – a Douala-based company that helps SMEs to gain unique and international identification of their products, places of manufacture, distribution and transparency through digitalization used the workshop to school SMEs on the importance of getting their businesses registered.
He challenged entrepreneurs to embrace the system and get their businesses known globally, adding that it won’t be good for GS1 which is the lone company in the CEMAC sub-region in the sector to be in the country without them benefiting.
By Doh Bertrand Nua
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