Emergence is incompatible with the ratification of the APE-Nyambal

The former Senior Adviser to the administrator of the IMF Africa deciphers the economic partnership agreements.

In the case of emergence, the Government has made a solemn Cameroonians promise: to make Cameroon an emerging nation in 2035.

With industrial production contributing 40% of the wealth created annually by Cameroon (GDP), an income per capita of a value greater than $ 11445 in 2035 compared with $983 currently and a level of absolute poverty affecting more than a Cameroonian ten against four out of ten currently.

The emergence is incompatible with the ratification of the EPAs and the concomitant removal of customs duties on products from the European Union.

We must avoid engaging future generations in economic adventurism and poverty.

Experience shows that, despite the mechanisms of access free of customs duties in the markets of Western countries since almost 40 years (Convention of Lomé in 1975, Cotonou agreement in 2000, 'everything but arms' of the Union European and agreements with the United States Agoa), Cameroon has not managed to increase its share of exports to these countries due to the weakness of productive capacity and the persistence of agricultural subsidies and tariff barriers.

Our trade balance is structurally deficit, economy is not diversified. By what miracle do we suddenly reverse 40 years of failure to export and which products are we going to sell European markets?

In this context, a reciprocal opening of markets could permanently destroy our agricultural and industrial fabric at the point where he needs the greatest attention to realize its potential.

A head-on competition between Europeans and Cameroonian producers may also make our country a large trading post for European products, contributing to the creation of jobs in Europe and the destruction of jobs in Cameroon while wearing a fatal blow to regional integration.

We work together with our neighbours to create a zone of mutual prosperity. Because, despite historical reports with other continents, Nigeria and Central Africa account for our natural range of prosperity.

Due to falling tax revenues and shrinkage of the productive base, EPAs will also reduce the ability of the State to generate its own resources to fund its operation and public investment.

Therefore, the Government has no choice than to tax more taxpayers and seek funding from the IMF and EU.

This will result in a steep rise in debt and the structural adjustment Programmes (SAPs) use.

Such a scenario would reduce our room for maneuver to diversify the economy and cope with the challenge of company employment of young people.

Are we ready, a few years after the attainment of the completion Point of the HIPC initiative, to reconnect with the steps after the painful experience of the past two decades resulting in the destruction of the economic and social fabric of Cameroon?

To urge Cameroon to ratify this agreement, the EU has implemented a program to upgrade Cameroonian business of 6.5 billion FCFA to help conquer the European market in steel, metallurgy, textile, food processing, tourism, construction, electronics, mechanics, leather and footwear.

However, it comes to sectors in which our country has no triumps to impose on the domestic market or take share of market in Europe taking into account constraints of capacity and non-tariff barriers.

This proposal is indecent. Who could accept losing budgetary revenues of more than 2000 billion in Exchange for a one-time assistance of a few billion.

How are we going to fund the difference to build roads, schools, hospitals and responding to the operating expenses of the State.

This strangely reminds the promises of donors in the 1990s to encourage the Government to privatize, liberalize the economy and dismantling tariffs to rediscover the path of growth.

Our families and our children suffered the negative impact of these policies during three decades of adjustment. We must learn from our mistakes and better protect the interests of Cameroonians.