They have been encouraged in Bamenda to belong to economic modernisation programme.

Failure to upgrade prepares enterprises to fail or quit the market place. That was the take home message after a sensitisation campaign for North West enterprises to join the crusade to upgrade and belong to the nation’s economic modernisation programme.

In effect; the Enterprises Upgrading Office, (BMN) spent November 24 and 25, 2014 in Bamenda stressing the need for enterprises to submit to the exercise which ensures growth, boosts investment, stabilizes and encourages job creation, reduces the impact of industrial production hazards and reinforces standards for competitiveness.

The BMN campaign team leader, Chantal Elombat Mbedey, revisited the creation of the Office on the strength of Prime Ministerial Order No. 221/ CAB/PM of December 16, 2011 and revealed that the nation’s new modernisation plan targets 600 enterprises to be upgraded between 2014 and 2016.

It is all about efforts to reinforce and sustain the competitiveness of the economy of Cameroon through the improvement of production and the qualitative progression of enterprises. It emerged from the campaign that the programme seeks to reinforce standards, quality and improve the competitive business environment and promote dialogue between the private and public sectors.

It was against this backdrop that the Inspector General in the North West Governor’s office, Ivo Makoge urged business people to massively appropriate the programme with the comprehensive insurance that each enterprise shall benefit from a continuous and personalised follow-up process.

The programme recruits from the priority areas of agro-processing, wood processing, textile-clothing, tourism, sub-contraction, leather and shoes, sheet metals and derivatives, civil engineering etc.

Away from that, the Director of BMN, Chantal Elombat Mbedey revealed that the adhesion of enterprises is voluntary and the treatment of enterprises information is confidential. The Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development oversees the programme.

BMN’s other partners include the European Union, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, Norms and Standards Agency etc.