The private sector has been edified on how to reinforce accounting standards, mete out sanctions and other dissuasive measures to prevent corruption. A five-day workshop on the subject, which had as theme "Ethics and fight against corruption in multinational and national companies," rounded up at the Douala Sawa Hotel on Friday, April 11.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) with the collaboration of the Central Service for the Prevention of Corruption (SCPC) of France and the French Embassy in Yaounde, organised the workshop to tackle the ill in multinational and national companies.

Little acts of corruption like bribing State agents, forces of law and order, hospital nurses, school teachers during competitive entrance exams to gain undue entrance or marks, promotions or certain advantages. With these minor acts being common, most often major acts of corruption involving billions of FCFA orchestrated by or within large companies are easily ignored. Without adequate combat measures, unemployment may worsen as the companies offer jobs to most of the country's population.

It was recommended that companies based in Cameroon should have in place an efficient alert measure, inform the public on the impact of their activities to the social life, environment and the economy. Companies are also encouraged to systematise standards and ethics while government is called upon to emphasise on reforming the informal sector, simplify its fiscal system, introduce roles and standards of transparency, among others.

Rev. Dr. Dieudonné Massi Gams, NACC President, implored participants to stay alert in order to detect, sanction and prevent corruption. The first time NACC organised the workshop in Douala was in 2009. It allowed the Commission to measure the impact on the evolution not only of the Cameroonian legislation but also the customs and habits in this area. By holding the workshop again, NACC seeks to emphasise on eradicating the practice going on in companies.