The Ministry of Trade will this year embark on an aggressive campaign to sell the country’s economic and business potentials abroad by actively participating in more trade fairs and other investment promotion events in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tunisia, the US, Nigeria and China. Making the disclosure on Wednesday January 26 at Yaounde’s Conference Centre while receiving New Year wishes from staff and stakeholders, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana said in order to boost its foreign exchange earnings, the country needed to take advantage of the enormous opportunities provided, for example, by the large Nigerian and Chinese markets. He said 2011 also calls for greater creativity and reflection on the part of the ministry’s staff in order to meet the growing challenges of price hikes.

On the cash crop sector, the minister said more attention would be paid to the cocoa, coffee and cotton sectors, following significant rises in their prices in 2010. He explained that time had come for internal trade to be diversified in order to counter the unstable international economic environment. He praised staff and the business community for the efforts made in keeping down the rising cost of living in 2010. He however acknowledged that last year was particularly difficult economically the world over, promising that more efforts at promoting local food crop production like the National Food Tasting Days would be organized this year. He said this was in a bid to do something about the Head of State’s concern about the high consumption by Cameroonians of what they do not produce.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Haman Oumar highlighted some of the achievements of the ministry for 2010 like the country’s participation in different trade fairs abroad, and the impoundment of contraband, over priced, hoarded and sub standard goods. The occasion also saw the presentation of sketches, musical performances and the decoration of some staff.