Kribi: Prof Fuh Calistus inaugurates over 13 billion FCFA-worth La Pasta wheat processing plant.

 It was officially commissioned into use Wednesday, January 10.
The ceremony was presided by the Mines Minister, on behalf of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute. It was also attended by the Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atanga and the Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe.
It was also graced by the presence of the Governor of South Region, Felix Nguele Nguele; the Governor of Littoral Region, Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, and the Director General of the Kribi Port Authority, Patrice Melom. 
The plant has a crushing capacity of 300 to 350 tonnes of flour per day.
In his inaugural statement, Prof Fuh Calistus said the commissioning of the plant will help in strengthening the country’s food security and reducing the negative impact of imports on trade balance, which have been profoundly affected by multiple crises at the international scene.

“This project, which brings us together here today in Kribi, is a concrete expression of the government's strategy to increase our infrastructure capacity for wheat processing and storage, through a public-private partnership,” the minister said.
According to the PM’s representative, the government could not remain insensitive to the republican choice of CADYST Group in setting up the plant, which not only contributes to boosting economic activity in the industrial zone of the Kribi Autonomous Port, but more generally to securing the national need for wheat flour, which amounts to nearly 800,000 tonnes a year.

Urges other economic operators to invest
The interim Mines Minister used the opportunity invite economic operators in the agri-food sector as well as other priority sectors, to follow the footsteps of La Pasta, by making use of the national import-substitution policy.
He stated that within the framework of Law No. 2013/004 of 18 April 2013 laying down incentives for private investment in the Republic of Cameroon, as amended and supplemented by Law No. 2017/015 of 12 July 2017, the government is open to support projects for win-win partnership.
“The government's industrial vision remains focused on the local transformation of our raw materials. This is why I invite all our industrialists, and in particular the Chairman and CEO of CADYST Group, to work towards finding solutions to replace wheat with local raw materials, of course if they are suited to the needs of the population while ensuring the profitability of your industry,” Prof Fuh said.
He assured that “the government's vision is not to limit local processing to the agri-food sector alone”.

Expresses gratitude to CADYST Group
While officially declaring the new plant of La Pasta in Kribi inaugurated, the member of government promised that the government will spare no efforts in seeing that they succeed and the spillover economic impact is felt in the city.  
“I take this opportunity to reiterate my sincere congratulations to the management and staff of CADYST Group for the significant investment made to create and develop this infrastructural gem,” he said, adding that “it is self-evident that the government will spare no effort to support all enterprises willing to expand and diversify their activities in the Cameroonian industrial sector”.
The inauguration ceremony, he added, testifies the commitment of key players in the country’s economy to the strategic policies defined by government with the aim of further developing the industrial sector in Cameroon

Entre CADYST Group president 
Speaking during the event, the President of CADYST Group, Celestin Tawamba, acknowledged the support and efforts of the various authorities towards the inauguration of the plant located at the heart of the Kribi Port zone.
He said CADYST Group has a vision of feeding and caring for the people of Cameroon and the Central African sub-region, with the ambition of becoming a major actor in the industrial transformation of the country.
“Driven by a passion for industry and above all patriotism, I decided to pioneer the construction of the very first flour mill in the Port of Kribi. It should be pointed out that, in the past, it has always been foreigners who have installed flour mills in our ports...” Tawamba said.

The plant
Covering an area of 1.6 hectares, the flour mill was set up with the sum of about 12 billion FCFA, including a 5.5 billion FCFA bank loan supported by SCB Cameroun. The plant comprises a production area housed in a five-storey building; a raw materials storage area with a capacity of 24,000 tonnes, equipped with an ecological reception system; and an analysis and research laboratory equipped with the latest technology to ensure quality control from raw material to finished product.
It also includes a weighbridge with an 80-ton capacity, a reception pit with a capacity of 300 tonnes per day, administrative offices, an infirmary, a staff canteen, a modern public living area including parking, public toilets, rest areas, and a mosque.

Kribi City Mayor salutes presence of plant 
In his welcome address, the City Mayor of Kribi, Guy Emmanuel Sabikanda, hailed the decision of CADYST Group to establish one of its plants in the city of Kribi, which is fast becoming and industrial zone. 
According to him, the company comes to fortify the food security situation in the town as well as create job opportunity for its youth that will be employed at the plant.
It should be mentioned that the inaugurated structure also received the royal blessings of the traditional leaders of Ocean Division.