Cameroon business forum explores ways to boost ties between public, private sectors

YAOUNDE, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A business forum dubbed Cameroon Business forum focusing on emergence and development of private investments in the country opened in Douala on Monday to discuss ways of strengthening ties between public and private sectors.

"The government is more than ever determined to maintain and perpetuate all the ways of a constructive dialogue between the public authorities and the private sector," Cameroon Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute said while presiding over the event.

Close to 500 local and international businessmen are attending the forum this year.

The forum, in its 10th edition has provided "appropriate solutions" to issues related to improving the business climate and developing the private sector according to Ngute.

"Over these ten years, the Cameroon Business forum has led to the adoption of close to 200 recommendations," he added, stressing that 150 of them have been effectively implemented and about 90 have resulted in key reforms.

The government wants to make the private sector a "veritable and privileged partner" in its drive to become an emergent economy by 2035, organizers of the forum said.

"We are looking forward to establishing durable and rich partnerships with government that will enable us do business in a mutually-beneficial-way," Laurent Serge Djeugoue, a Cameroon businessman told Xinhua.

This forum could be the game changer as our country seeks to significantly revamp its economy, the businessman added.

The forum is jointly sponsored by the Cameroonian government and the International Finance Corporation.