GICAM, ECAM merge to better support SMEs.

The union of both entities was concretised in order to strengthen their mandates of providing support for the growth of the private sector. The merger between the two employers' organisations was sealed during an official ceremony in Douala. 

The presidents of both institutions signed a treaty or Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, making them joint partners in the work of carrying the voice of wealth creators in the nation as one man. 

The signing ceremony saw the attendance of high profile personalities of the private sector and the Governor of the Littoral region, Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua. 

They all bore witness to what has been termed "a history-making event” as the news of the merger evoked thoughts in pundits who had speculated that it would be a means to bring back members who had left GICAM years back.

It should be recalled that ECAM was created 2008 after the departure of some of the founding members from GICAM. Since then, the president of ECAM, Protais Ayangma, said, they have worked to transform their failure to opportunities by creating a federation with the goal of helping Small and Medium Size Enterprises, SMEs, better contribute to the economy.

Both organisations had been operating apart until the installation of Celestin Tawamba at the helm of GICAM. Tawamba, on the day of his investiture on June 29, 2017, had made promises that he would leave no stone unturned until he sees the employers' unions in Cameroon is united.

Tawamba had said, "the requirement of gathering will force us to spare no effort to bring together and federate all the bosses within the common house that is GICAM... we are already officially reaching out to those who, for one reason or another, have turned their backs on our group". 

This quest for unity led GICAM and ECAM to set up, on January 17, 2019, a consultation body between ECAM and GICAM. It had been given the name "Employers' Coordination" 

The two organisations had thus demonstrated their common desire to share information and harmonise their positions on issues relating to their employer missions and improving the business climate. 

The Management of the Coordination body acted for the implementation of effective policies that restored and boosted the competitiveness and growth of the economy of Cameroon, without prejudice to the conduct of activities specific to GICAM and ECAM. 

Mainly, it carried out advocacy actions with the State, international and regional institutions, multilateral cooperation organisations, donors and trade unions. It intervened on five areas; taxation, macro-economic issues, public-private sector dialogue, employers-workers dialogue, and issues affecting Small and Medium Size Enterprises. 

The creation of the Employers' Coordination was the starting point for a process of structuring the representation of the private sector, which will enable it to develop a community of interest and ensure the unity of employers' action.

ECAM president, Protais Ayangma, said he had chosen to unite because he had seen in Celestin Tawamba a man with like vision like his.

What the merger will mean 

The presidents of both organisations are more convinced that the union of the two entities will make it possible to obtain more significant advantages for companies, considering that employers become more powerful if their strength in number increases. This will also mean effectiveness in lobbying with public authorities and international bodies. 

"We have concluded the signing of this treaty and our joint ideas have given rise to consensual, permanent propositions. The history of development has never been complacent to immobility. GICAM and ECAM have taken a step further to intensify our common initiatives. If the union that consecrated the coordination of employers made us strong, this merger will be our fortress; this is a new era in the history of the employers union," Tawamba said.