of association128 to authenticate same. In this regard, the BEFC registered 13,343 SMEs
established in 2017 as against 15,219 SMEs129 in 2016 and 13,374 SMEs in 2015. More than
half of companies registered focused on handicraft and the digital including services in
education, health and agro-industry and were established by persons younger than 40 years
(Rec. 13).
177- With regard to the support given to SMEs, and considering the increase in the number of
Approved Management Centres (AMC) from 7 in 2016 to 11 in 2017, the number of SMEs
that migrated from the informal sector to the formal sector increased from 1,000 in 2016 to
1,500 in 2017. Besides, the State made a priority settlement of the debt it owed SMEs130.
178- Concerning tax incentives, as per Law No. 2017/15 of 12 July 2017 to amend and
supplement some provisions of Law No. 2013/4 of 18 April 2013 to lay private investment
incentives in the Republic of Cameroon131, a tax credit may be granted an investor who
employs at least 5 young graduates per year. Thus, in 2017, 137 investment agreements132
were signed with promoters in different sectors especially agro-industry, iron and steel
industries, chemical industry, energy, low-cost housing for 50,000 direct employment
projects133.
179- Concerning the number of job seekers registered at the National Employment Fund
(NEF)134 and whose number increased from 34,455 in 2013 to 51,727 in 2017, NEF sort
employment for 280,575 job seekers for the period 2013-2018 in both remunerated jobs and
project-generated jobs. It also organised vocational training and financed projects as shown in
the table below:
Table 4: Annual job results by National Employment Fund
Year
Reception Paid jobs
and
orientation
Vocational Project
training
financing
38,455
41,681
6,089
2013
47,607
44,693
11,779
2014
51,330
48,124
10,281
2015
50,999
46,521
2,034
2016
51,727
50,547
4,077
2017
Source: National Employment Fund
4,044
9,033
8,618
24
2,306
Projectgenerated
jobs
8,269
8,269
17,294
36
4,840
Total
(paid
+
projectgenerated)
49,950
63,263
65,418
46,557
55,387
180- Altogether, the number of jobs created between 2013 and 2018 stood at 2,291,363,
including 224,712 in 2013, 400,390 in 2016, 473,303 in 2017, and 493,533 as at 15
November 2018.
128
Decree No. 2017/877/PM of 28 February 2017 supplemented the mechanism by laying down the terms and
conditions of authentication of articles of association of private limited companies in the Business Establishment
Formalities Centres in Cameroon.
129
Some 1,049 companies were established online with the “my business.cm” application.
130
See address of the Head of State to the Nation on 31 December 2017.
131
See section 8 (new) of Law No. 2017/15 of 12 July 2017 to amend and supplement some provisions of Law
No. 2013/4 of 18 April 2013 to lay down private investment incentives in the Republic of Cameroon
132
See Law No. 2013/4 of 18 April 2013 to lay down private investment incentives in the Republic of
Cameroon.
133
The global amount of the agreement sis estimated at CFAF2,322,000,000,000 (About 3,539,634,146.3 Euros).
134
The budget allocated to NEF globally increased between 2013 and 2018 representing CFAF7,000,000,000
(About 10,671,341.21 Euros) in 2013, CFAF6,500,000,000 (About 9,923,664.12 Euros) in 2014;
CFAF7,500,000,000 (About 11,433,676.29 Euros) in 2015; CFAF8,000,000,000 (About 12,213,740.5 Euros) in
2016; CFAF10,000,000,000 in 2017,and the same amount in 2018.
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