CAMTEL seeks to enhance business sector through digital technology.

 The event held under the theme: “Digital technology: A vector for strengthening the competitiveness of businesses in Cameroon”. 

It brought together members of the private sector, government institutions, Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Agriculture, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, GeCAM, start-ups, among others.

The Technical Adviser No 1 at CAMTEL, Francis Ottou, presenting the context and objectives of the event, said it aimed to analyse and appreciate the importance of technological transformation on businesses, analyse the level of competitiveness of enterprises caused by digital technology, presentation of roadmap for digital technology in the business sector, among others.

Ottou went ahead to state that: “Digitalisation is not just technology, but is a culture. It is the engine of transformation”. 

In her opening address, the General Manager of CAMTEL, Judith Yah Sunday Epse Achidi, said through the National Development Strategy 2020-2030 (NDS30), the government aims to achieve the structural transformation of the Cameroonian economy by making fundamental changes to economic and social structures in order to promote endogenous and inclusive development. 

“To this end, digital technology has been given a central place in the NDS30 and is one of the strategic sectors for development,” she said. 

Low investment in digital dev’t

She, however, regretted that the volume of investment in digital development in Cameroon, the level of use of Information and Communication Technologies, ICTs, by the local population and businesses is still limited.

Judith Yah Sunday stated that “only 65% of large businesses and 60% of small businesses have gone digital”.

“The country is thus faced with the dual challenge of accelerating and transforming its industrialisation, and integrating it into the dynamics of information and communication technologies; the challenge being to neutralise the digital divide,” CAMTEL GM noted. 

She added that as part of the implementation of the NDS30, one of the strategic options adopted is to build the structural transformation of the national economy by giving a priority and central role to the private sector. 

“This priority is reflected in three main areas of active promotion of private initiative, namely: catching up and technological development; encouraging business development; and protecting the national economic space,” she said.

“Cameroon’s economy therefore has a low capacity for technological absorption and accumulation due to a lack of technological infrastructure, quality infrastructure and qualified and specialised human resources. In this respect, one of Cameroon's objectives in this area is to build a national capacity for technological absorption and accumulation in order to accelerate technological catch-up,” Judith Yah Sunday noted.

She continued that “…in view of the sectoral priorities defined in the country's development framework, the NDS30 envisages reforming the system of incentives for business development with a view to concentrating public resources primarily on accelerating industrialisation”.

“It is with these challenges in mind, and with a view to celebrating the 4th edition of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Day scheduled for June 27, 2024, that this CAMTEL Business Day has been placed under the central theme: ‘digital technology: a vector for strengthening the competitiveness of businesses in Cameroon’. Through this activity, the national telecommunications operator intends to make its contribution to strengthening the role of the private sector in the construction of national development and in particular the structural transformation of the economy, notably through the lever of digital technology,” she said.

Talking to the press, the Director of CAMTEL Business Unit Fix, Christian Etoundi Ngaba, said through the event, the corporation principally seeks to promote digital technology to reinforce competitiveness of enterprises. 

He said it is also an avenue for participants to analyse the impact of digital technology on the development of enterprises and look at actions that can improve on competiveness and flexibility of enterprises. 

Digital technology enhances competiveness

On her part, the Director of Enterprises Upgrading Office, Chantal Elombat Mbedey, who participated in the event, said digital technology is a tool that enhances competiveness of enterprises.

“For us, digital technology is a trend that enterprises have to adopt,” she said. 

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary of Competitiveness Committee, Hermann Fotie II, who also lived the event, said among the factors that determine the competitiveness of enterprises, there is digital technology and innovation. 

“Today in a globalised world where economic development is paramount, it is imperative for enterprises to adopt digital technology to be able to enhance their productivity and be capable to face competition from foreign companies,” he said.

The event featured two sessions on “Competitiveness of Cameroonian Businesses” and “Contribution of Digital Technology to Enhancing the Competitiveness of Businesses in Cameroon”. The sessions involved several presentations.