YAOUNDE, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The second edition of the Cameroon International Business and Trade Fair officially opened Thursday in the country's commercial hub of Douala, aimed at boosting investment and promoting locally-made products.
The 12-day event began with an opening ceremony and a range of activities, including forums, seminars, exhibitions, and business matchmaking sessions. Large-scale producers as well as small- and medium-sized industries present at the fair excelled in such domains as arts, textiles, energy, and agriculture.
"Large-scale distribution is an opportunity for our economy, for those who undertake it, and undoubtedly the most important one, for the promotion and valorization of products labeled 'Made in Cameroon,'" said Minister of Trade Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, who presided over the opening ceremony. "It is equally important for the Cameroonian youth, in terms of jobs, of course, and in terms of training for new professions for which our country is sorely lacking in specialists."
The fair serves to strengthen economic integration and intra-regional trade, with the ambition of contributing to the consolidation of growth in Central Africa, said Pierre Zumbach, president of the Inter-Progress International Foundation, which organizes the event in partnership with the government of Cameroon. ■