Cameroonian economy: How to conduct dialogue between the government and the private sector in the absence of the Cameroon Business Forum (CBF)

A meeting of the Cameroon Business Forum (CBF)

Cameroon is currently experiencing two forms of gravity due to inflationary pressures, notably as a result of the post-Covid-19 crisis and the accentuation of traditional national vulnerabilities linked to the direct consequences of the war in Ukraine. The growth rate remains low (3.4% in 2022), well below the macroeconomic forecasts. The CBF, a consultation between the government and the private sector, has been held for 11 years, but it has not improved the quality of public-private dialogue. This platform, whose only reference was the "Doing Business" ranking indicators published by the World Bank, was not sufficiently convincing and, moreover, did not make it possible to find solutions to all the problems related to our business environment, such as the settlement of the domestic debt. Moreover, in 11 years, our "Doing Business" ranking has not significantly improved. On the contrary, it has only deteriorated, indicating the ineffectiveness of the IVC. This is the reason why GICAM has proposed, for some years now, its abolition and reform. The private sector needs a new framework for dialogue with the government, which is better structured, taking into account the real problems of the private sector for an effective development of our economy.