Councils request financial autonomy from FEICOM

Northwest Governor, Adolphe Lele L’Afrique, together with Mayors, have decried the payment of money destined to Councils into the Central Treasury in Yaounde.

In order for the Councils to realise development projects, Governor Lele L’Afrique blamed the Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance known by its French acronym as FEICOM for the centralised unique account with all its bottlenecks, when it comes to transferring funds from the central treasury in Yaounde to Councils. He was speaking during the 20th anniversary celebrations of FEICOM on December 1, at the Bamenda Congress Hall.

The Governor, however, noted that for several years, FEICOM, has realised a lot of public utility projects in the areas of socio-collective equipment, vehicles and supplies, institutional support to local authorities and direct cash in the form of Additional Council Taxes.

The President of the Northwest Union of City and Councils of Cameroon, UCCC, Mayor Moses Khan, said the Councils do not have a problem with FEICOM, but with the Ministry of Finance - the supervisory Ministry that controls and misdirect Councils’ money collected from taxpayers into the central treasury.

“FEICOM serves as a bank for the Councils; it is not a Government Bank. Most of the Councils have been unable to hold budgetary sessions for lack of funds, because the money is blocked at the central unique treasury. We are not prepared to swallow this rubbish. We are bent on fighting to the end because this law that is repugnant to social justice is stifling development in Councils. Council treasuries are empty while taxpayers’ money, which should be ploughed back for development is being blocked. The Minister of Finance must be confronted with this problem very soon,” Khan reiterated.

As one of the oldest Mayors, Mayor Bernard Tossam, Mayor of Belo, said Government policy of unity of cash makes the Director of Treasury, the Accountant of FEICOM, which is wrong.

“The so called Accountant of FEICOM has now been reduced to a Liaison Officer, Councils are suffering because FEICOM deposits cash at the treasury and great delays are known in the payments by the treasury into the Council bank accountant. We must remove FEICOM from this principle of unity of cash account; its autonomy and decentralisation is really our concern for promotion of local governance and development,” Tossam averred.

the Regional Chief of FEICOM, David Moh, said since its creation in 1974, the organisation has transformed Council Chambers, schools and health centres, carried out extension of electricity, maintenance of earth roads, construction of pipe-borne water, construction of markets, slaughter houses and financial aid to local authorities.

He said FEICOM, has been training Council authorities to source for additional income and opening opportunities for Councils to twin with big Councils in Cameroon and international Councils in America, Europe and rich African countries. He revealed that of the numerous projects from 366 municipalities worth FCFA 232 billion, Northwest Councils and other groups have benefited about FCFA 12 billion.

The Representative of the Government Delegate to the Bamenda City Council, Julie Chambi assured FEICOM of constant support, given that, it is the first partner of Councils.

Northwest Regional Delegate of Basic Education, Susan Fon Nyanga Tatah, appreciated the prizes that were offered to some pupils who won FEICOM’s drawing competition under the theme; “Vision for my Council”.