of enterprises were facilitated with the opening of Business Establishment Facilitation Centres (BEFC), reduction of the time limit for the establishment of a business to 72 hours at the BEFCs, reduction of the minimum capital for Public Limited Companies from CFAF1,000,000 to CFAF100,000344, optional request of a Notary Public coupled with the possibility of authentication by the BEFCs that will end in 2020 were launched in January 2016. SMEs received financial support from the Cameroon SME Bank. 596- Cameroon has a new Investment Code with the enactment of Law No. 2013/4 of 18 April 2013 to lay down private investment incentives in the Republic of Cameroon as amended and supplemented by Law No. 2017/15 of 12 July 2017. As part of implementation of the said law, support to major national and international investors was conferred on the Investment Promotion Agency while the duty of supporting SMEs was conferred on the SME Promotion Agency. Procedures for the issuance of authorizations were simplified with the conferring of such prerogative on the 2 Agencies, which prerogative was exercised previously at the level of the Ministry. An Investment Effectiveness Control Committee and a Joint Committee to Monitor the Stability of Private Investment Incentives in Cameroon were formed. B: Consolidating Good Governance and Combating Corruption 597- Consolidation of good governance continued with the reform of public contracts, public establishments and enterprises while surveillance and control mechanisms were deployed. 1: Reform of Public Contracts, and Public Establishments and Enterprises 598- The public contracts reform that started in 2011 was reflected by the adoption of a new Public Contracts Code as per Decree No. 2018/366 of 20 June 2018. The Code enshrines the principle of free access to public procurement, equal treatment of bidders and transparency of procedures, efficiency and integrity. 599- In a bid to enhance public establishments and enterprises, the following 2 laws were enacted: Law No. 2017/10 of 12 July 2017 to lay down the general rules and regulations governing public establishments and Law No. 2017/11 of 12 July 2017 to lay down the general rules and regulations governing public enterprises. The laws aim at ensuring transparency in the management and protection of public property. 2: Deployment of Surveillance, Control and Sanction Mechanisms 600- The different surveillance, control and sanction mechanisms including adjudication and non-adjudication mechanisms were deployed. 601- With regard to non-adjudication mechanisms, as part of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy adopted in 2011, NACC continued to organise awareness-raising activities especially as part of the National Integrity Education Programme, conduct the Rapid Results Initiatives the 10th series of which was launched in September 2017, monitor the implementation of the annual regional anti-corruption plans of action that indicated in 2017 that no Region had attained the 50% rate, carry out investigation and control activities on the quality of public spending, and identify acts of corruption. 602- Thus, in 2017, NACC received and processed 3,982 reports on acts, and practices of corruption as against 2,402 in 2016, 3,268 in 2015, 3,064 in 2014, 2,758 in 2013 and 2,089 in 2012. It conducted 21 physical and financial controls of projects financed by public funds and 3 administrative audits in 2014. 344 About 1,527 to 153 Euros 99