Trade

This region is at the center of intense commercial activity. Commerce is an important source of revenue for Ex-Mifi populations. There are two distinguishable types of markets: the periodic markets and those that are permanent. Periodic markets take place in the villages at regular intervals of eight days, because of the weekly calendar of the Bamiléké.

A field of garbages in Bamendjou
According to this calendar, 6 days are given to work in the fields and 2 for commerce. Traditional autorithy gretly influences the organization of this type of market.

Permanent markets are classic centers of exchange, where one finds well-stocked shops. Transactions take place every day. There are two types of storekeepers: wholesalesrs and retailers. Wholesalers received their supply directly from factories or import their merchandise, which they then sell to retailers.

70% of all trades are agricultural: corn, peanuts, beans, potatoes, vegetables, tomatoes, tubers, etc. Next we find national industrial products: cosmetics, soaps, perfumes, farm produce, hardware, and finally imported manufactured products.

Craft industry

Craft industry is very developed in Ex-Mifi. Artisans hold the following practics: woodwork, general mechanics and auto mechanics, general electrics or auto electrics; plumbing, welding and boiler making of agricultural and mill tools, handyman (repairing, home devices), dressmaking or embroidery, hairdressing, shoe making, watch making, tilery (creation of parpens and roof tiles), electronics, cable installation – through cables or MMDS antennas.

Tourism and the Hotel Business

The Ex-Mifi region's tourist map contains a dozen tourist sites such as the Baleng Lake, the Bandjoun Chiefdom, the Bafoussam Chiefdom, etc. The 19 hotels that exist in the Ex-Mifi are all for the most part concentrated in the cities of Bafoussam and Bandjoun. Statistics from the Department of Tourism in 2000 show that the majority of foreign tourists are French, German and American. In 2002 the region received over 40000 tourists. The sector suffers however from organizational inefficiencies in its tourist system failure to landscape its tourist sites and defective access routes to the sites.

THIS IS AN EXTRACT OF THE BOOK "Project :Bamiléké"

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