SMEs ministry makes available 1.5 billion FCFA to support small businesses.

The agreement to release the funds was signed on December 4, 2025, in Yaounde. It was signed by MINPMEESA boss, Achille Bassilekin III and BC-PME Deputy Director General, Amadou Haman. 

The main goal of the financing is to strengthen local production, reduce dependency on imports, and enhance the competitiveness of Cameroonian businesses.

Under the arrangement, the FCFA 1.5 billion envelope is split across several priority actions. Some FCFA 330 million is earmarked for the financing of individual agro-food processing units. 

A further FCFA 930 million is reserved for the establishment of three pilot collective processing units. Another FCFA 240 million is dedicated to the purchase of modern palm-oil presses for cooperatives. 

The funds target SMEs, micro-enterprises and Social Economy operators working to strengthen production capacity and reduce Cameroon’s dependence on imported goods.

BC-PME is responsible for selecting eligible enterprises and distributing the funding at a subsidised interest rate capped at 4% inclusive of VAT. 

The bank is also required to apply a monitoring and evaluation mechanism defined in the agreement to ensure that disbursements are properly tracked. 

The follow-up system is intended to provide continuous assessment of how the financing supports activities across the agro-pastoral and fisheries sectors, and to ensure the money is used in line with the objectives set by MINPMEESA.

The ministry plans to extend the initiative in 2026, with projections indicating a total envelope of FCFA 1.6 billion for the next phase. 

The planned expansion is expected to widen sector coverage and raise the productive capacity of SMEs in the same priority value chains. 

The actions fall under a broader government effort aimed at strengthening import substitution, consolidating local value creation and reinforcing an economic base driven by small businesses.

MINPMEESA and BC-PME have described the programme as a long-term push to build a resilient and competitive economy through support to enterprises engaged in local production. 

The agreement forms part of ongoing attempts to stimulate job creation, scale up production capabilities and promote sustainable growth pathways for SMEs operating in strategic sectors.

Alongside the SME-focused funding, MINPMEESA announced the creation of a dedicated youth financing window at BC-PME. 

The mechanism will target projects led by young Cameroonians and aims to foster entrepreneurship in agriculture, craftsmanship and the social economy. 

According to MINPMEESA, the forthcoming window is designed to ease access to funding for youth-driven initiatives and promote opportunities that support employment and innovation across the country.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3652 of Thursday December 11, 2025