Concretising The Douala Talk!

Curtains have dropped on the two-day public-private sector reflection in Douala on how to improve the country’s business climate and attract worthwhile investors and boost national growth. Participants at the 12th session of the Cameroon Business Forum are therefore settling back in their respective spheres of influence, relishing the platform that permitted them to see each other eye-to-eye and to chart the way forward. A long-awaited conclave, coming six years after the 11th session. So much needed to be ironed out and the participants did just that. Government now knows what the private sector desires to ac­ company her in the huge task of creating jobs and generating wealth. The private sector as well was briefed on what the go­ vernment is doing to ensure that they do not “risk” their hard- earned money into unprofitable ventures. This is the hallmark of dialogue that has guided and should continue to lead the public- private partnership absolutely needed to transform the country’s huge investment potentials into development tools capable of ca­ tapulting the economy to boom. So much was said in Douala during the October 22-23, 2026 deli­ berations. The choice of theme, “AfCFTA and Productive Transfor­ mation: What Reforms to Make Cameroon a Major Industrial and Commercial Hub in Africa?”, was indeed timely. More so because the African Continental Free Trade Area offers a boulevard of op­ portunities for the country to make huge economic gains. But the visibly weak productive capacity needs to change. There is need for competitiveness, in quantity and quality production, to suitably conquer the global market. Private sector investments are indispensable here. They can have the money and the will to invest but the government must make conditions favourable for them to engage in the sectors of their choice. This is to guarantee the win-win nature of the public- private collaboration. Now that Douala has come and gone with the much talking that took place, stakeholders must put all hands on deck to walk the talk. Concretising the Douala talk stares them in the face. It is only through implementing the recommendations jointly arrived at that the much-needed changes could be seen and felt. The good faith shown in massively attending, listening to each other, proposing what is supposed to be done and taking engagements should continue by giving the recommendations a thorough im­ plementation. Anything short of this would be rubbishing the time and money spent throughout the entire process. God forbid! Concerns ...