The Executive Director of the SPX-CMR in Immersion at CISMETAL

Continuing his agenda of field meetings with key SMEs in Cameroonian industry, Mr.Evariste YAMENI, Executive Director of the Subcontracting and Partnership Exchange of Cameroon (SPX-CMR), conducted a working visit on December 01 2025 to the facilities of CISMETAL Sarl, a company specialized in boiler making, piping, and metallic constructions.

Welcomed by the General Manager and his entire team, this immersion aimed to assess the production capacities of this SME and to better understand the realities of its integration into the supply chains of major projects.

The summit exchange: the brake of payment delays

Following a guided tour of the manufacturing workshops, where he praised CISMETAL's technical expertise in the design and maintenance of industrial equipment, the Executive Director chaired a productive working session.

It was during this session that CISMETAL’s General Manager raised a major and recurring difficulty hindering its development: the delays in payment of their invoices by certain large contracting companies. This recurrent cashflow problem constitutes a true brake on the company's development,limiting its ability to invest, modernize, and honour its own commitments to suppliers and employees.

"We have the expertise and execution capacity, but when payment deadlines stretch over months, or even years, our entire operational chain is suffocated. How can we develop and meet the requirements of national subcontracting under these conditions?" he questioned.

The imperative of upgrading and strategic partnership

Faced with this structural challenge, Mr. YAMENI reaffirmed the role of the SPX-CMR as an advocacy mechanism for improving the business climate, notably through the application of the new subcontracting law which aims, among other things, to formalize and secure contractual relationships.

The Executive Director reminded CISMETAL's General Manager of the company's dual responsibility:

• Upgrading and enhancing skills: it is imperative for CISMETAL to continue investing in improving quality standards and the continuous training of its staff to guarantee excellence and compliance with international requirements.
• Aiming for strategic partnerships: Mr. YAMENI strongly encouraged the SME to explore partnerships with renowned foreign companies. These alliances are crucial for:
• Strengthening CISMETAL's credibility with major international contractors.
• Facilitating the transfer of skills and cutting-edge technologies, thereby ensuring sustainable performance.

The SPX-CMR, as a GIE under the supervision of the MINPMEESA, is committed to continuing its work to unlock the bottlenecks hindering the growth of performing SMEs like CISMETAL, while supporting them towards increased professionalization. The objective remains clear: to make Cameroonian SMEs reliable partners and pillars of national industrial growth.