Decentralisation - Experts Diagnose Challenges

Stakeholders at a colloquium in Yaounde are seeking ways of overcoming challenges.The decentralisation process in Cameroon is effective and in spite of drawbacks, the Minister Delegate in the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation in charge of Local Councils, says that the future is bright.

Jules Doret Ndongo was speaking on August 27, 2013 in Yaounde as he opened a two-day colloquium on behalf of Minister Emmanuel René Sadi on "Decentralisation and Local Development: Stakes and Prospects in Cameroon," organised by the Pan-African Institute for Development (PAID).

Jules Doret Ndongo explained that though 21 ministries have devolved powers to local councils since 2010 when the process effectively began, the lack of financing and human resources are to blame for the hitches in implementing the process. "You can transfer some competences, but if the human resources are not competent on the field, it will be difficult to effectively execute activities. This means that we have to put in place an organisation between the central and devolved services of the State so that field delegates can really support local councils," he pointed out.

The Minister Delegate explained that the problem of lack of funding was being sorted out with the Ministry of Finance. The objectives, the Minister said, was to improve the standards of living of Cameroonians by pushing towards effective development through decentralisation.

The Secretary General of PAID, Emmanuel Kamdem, reminded participants that for two days, they will be dissecting challenges that rock the decentralisation process but not without recommending how to move the process forward. He said there was need to partner with networks and institutions for the effective transfer of responsibilities to local governments so as to move the country to economic emergence by 2035 as wished by the Head of State, Paul Biya.