2015 Budgetary Session: Stakes raised by Cameroonians

Expectations are high as the third ordinary sessions of parliament and senate dedicated to the 2015 budget opens in Yaounde this Wednesday 12th November 2014.

The National Assembly began in earnest with a keynote address from the House Speaker Honourable Cavaye Yeguie Djibril who saluted the Defence forces for the relentless fight against the Boko Haram and other security threats.

The low execution rate of the 2014 budget which he described as a cause of the slow pace of the economic growth in the country was also decried before paying homage to the fallen senator and the mother-in-law of the Head of State.

The key issues raised by the Parliamentary Speaker ties to the aspirations of Cameroonians who expect an investment oriented 2015 budget that will propel the country to the path of emergence; this at a time when the IMF Head of mission to Cameroon, Mario de Zamaroczy pointed to insecurity caused by insurgence of the Nigerian terrorist group, Boko Haram and drop in oil prices at the international markets to be impediments to Cameroon`s economic growth.

The budgetary sessions will be a forum for the peoples` representative to question why investment projects that ought to benefit the masses in the country have not been executed. They will certainly want to know if a raise in the taxation and customs department for instance will be considered in the new state budget.

Most Cameroonians will be more comfortable in debates that concern budget execution in the country than talks on what the executive is planning to do, this is because many Cameroonians seem disturbed on why programmed projects end up not been executed.

Issues like embezzlement, underdevelopment, unemployment and economic stagnation have plagued the country, at a time when Cameroon is trying to become a construction site for the attainment 2035 emergent vision.

Another stake Cameroonians will want to be settled in both houses will be, the low consumption of public investment budget in the past years in a country where developmental projects should be indispensable.

Due to all the expectations raised by the majority of the population, CPDM Senator from the Far North Region, Armrakaye Martin confronted by the press explained how the budget will respond to the needs of Cameroonians and also the instructions of President Paul Biya on attaining emergence by 2035.

Senate Vice President and Social Democratic Front Senator from the West Region, Paul Tchatchaoung said something must be done to improve on livelihood given gradual increase in inflation though an increase by 5 per cent in the salaries of state workers.

Within the one month period that the 2015 budgetary session will take, the high expectations raised by Cameroonians must have been addressed in the political, economic and social domains.