REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN Paix-Travail-Patrie REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON Peace-Work-Fatherland
SERVICES DU PREMIER MINISTRE SECRETARIAT GENERAL
PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE SECRETARIAT GENERAL
PRESS RELEASE FOLLOWING THE NATIONAL DECENTRALIZATION BOARD MEETING OF TUESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2019 ***
Yaounde, 17 September 2019
The Prime Minister, Head of Government, His Excellence Joseph DION NGUTE, today Tuesday 17 September 2019, as from 9:00 a.m. in the Cabinet Meeting hall chaired the first ordinary session of the National Decentralisation Board for 2019. Apart from his close aides, the meeting was attended by Members of Government, Parliamentarians, representatives of the Economic and Social Council, representatives of Municipal Authorities and those of civil society.
Five (5) featured on the agenda namely:
- The activity report of the Permanent Secretariat of the National Decentralisation Board since the last session, presented by the Permanent Secretary of the Board;
- The statement of the Minister for Decentralization and Local Development on: "the implementation of projects to deepen and fast track the decentralization process during the first half of 2019";
- The statement of the Minister for the Economy, Planning and Regional Development on: the physical and financial execution on 30 June 2019, of council projects financed by the General Decentralization Allocation for 2019: difficulties encountered and corrective measures prescribed or envisaged;
- The report of the Minister for Basic Education on the implementation of instructions of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, following the Board session of 20 December 2018, to liaise with the Ministers of Decentralization and Local Development; Public Contracts and Finance, to set up a sustainable and reliable mechanism for making the minimum package available to all schools concerned, before the re-opening of schools;
- The paper presented by the representative of the Association of United Councils and Cities of Cameroon (UCCC) on: "the assessment of the exercise of powers transferred to Councils by Law No. 2004/018 of 22 July 2004.
In his opening remarks, the Prime Minister pointed out that the session came a few days after the Head of State's message to the Nation announcing the holding of a Major National Dialogue at which one of the key themes would be decentralization. This will require the more active involvement of Members of the Board.
The Head of Government also recalled that the session came after the re-opening of schools which logically coincides with the handing over of the "minimum package" and necessary didactic materials to schools to ensure the hitch-free resumption of classes.
Lastly, since the transfer of powers to Councils by the State was completed in December 2016, he said the operation needs to be assessed with stakeholders on the field in terms of the effective transfer of the powers by the Government departments concerned and how these powers were being exercised by the beneficiary councils.