Decentralization: PM Instructs Effective Disbursement of Earmarked Resources

 Below is a press release following the National Decentralization Board meeting of Tuesday, 21 November 2017.

“The Prime Minister, Head of Government, His Excellency Philemon YANG, today Tuesday 21 November 2017 as from 9:00 a.m. in the Cabinet Meeting Hall chaired the first ordinary session of the National Decentralization Board for the 2017 financial year. 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.

Four items featured on the agenda:

1. The report of the Permanent Secretariat of the National Decentralization Board on the activities conducted during the recess, presented by the Permanent Secretary of the Board;
2. The statement of the Minister for Territorial Administration and Decentralization on the system of equalization of council finance;
3. The statement of the Minister of Finance on the assessment of local taxation and the disbursement of financial resources to local and city councils, including the General Decentralization Allocation and an additional statement of the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development;
4. The report of the Minister of Public Works on measures taken to endow all councils with the necessary financial resources to exercise the powers transferred to them by Decree No. 2012/2324/PM of 13 August 2012 for the conduct of roadside clearing works.

After the opening remarks of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, the Permanent Secretary presented the report of activities of the Permanent Secretariat of the National Decentralization Board during the recess. His report revealed that activities during that period consisted in monitoring the implementation of instructions of the previous Board session, continuing the review of the report on Local Development Index (LDI) in Cameroon and finalizing the draft National Decentralization Strategy.

Next, the Board listened to the report of the Minister for Territorial Administration and Decentralization on the system of equalization of council finance. This system seeks, through allocations, subsidies, transfer of State resources, and council taxes and fees, to reduce development disparities and gaps among local authorities and ensure their more balanced development. Part of the resources obtained from equalization was used to finance special development operations in disaster-stricken border councils or low-income councils exposed to particular constraints.

Thus, one hundred and seven (1) projects are ongoing in forty-eight (48) councils of the Far-North Region confronted by the adverse effects of the fight against Boko Haram, making a total of CFAF four billion seven hundred million (4,700,000,000). During the 2016 and 2017 financial years, close to CFAF two billion three hundred million (2,300,000,000) under the General Allocation for Functioning was distributed to low-income councils or those that are exposed to particular constraints.

In their complementary interventions on the assessment of local taxation and the disbursement of financial resources to local and city councils, including the General Decentralization Allocation, the Ministers in charge of Finance and the Economy, revealed a clear trend of financial resources mobilized and transferred to local and city councils and FEICOM. In fact, local tax receipts mobilized in the first three quarters of 2017 stand at CFAF one hundred and fifty-three billion two hundred and forty-five million (153,245,000,000) for effective payment of CFAF ninety-five billion three hundred and sixty-five million (95,365,000,000). 

In addition, CF AF 58.9 billion was transferred to councils as investment resources, corresponding to an increase of 1.4 compared to 2016.
Reporting on measures taken to provide ail councils with the necessary financial resources to exercise the powers transferred to...