The institution's 2012 annual report shows that FCFA 10 billion was disbursed to 168 councils.
The Special Support Fund for Mutual Assistance (FEICOM) has released its 2012 annual report indicating an increase funding to local councils in a bid to promote the decentralization process. In the report presented by its General Manager, Philippe Camille Akoa to the press on December 6, 2013 in Yaounde, FEICOM granted FCFA 10.1 billion to 168 councils and City Councils in 2012 for the execution of 223 projects. At the end of the year, FEICOM's portfolio included 894 projects, amounting to FCFA 97.9 billion.
To contribute towards implementing government strategies in a bid to improve the livelihood of Cameroonians, FEICOM provisionally accepted 309 projects and later 69 others in the spheres of education, training and research, communication, culture, leisure and sports, health, infrastructure and cooperation to fight poverty and contribute to growth. 2012 according to the report was a year of building the capacities of local councillors in the field of governance. The first edition of the FEICOM National Award for Council's Local Development Best Practices was also born.
The 2012 report, seventh in its edition, according to the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation (MINATD), René Emmanuel Sadi, Chairman of the Board of Director in his editorial, is presentation of the progress report and prospects of the decentralization process that went operational in 2010. The report outlines priorities of FEICOM which dwell on rooting the structure in programme budgeting and enhancing its contribution to "furthering the decentralization process", a programme piloted by MINATD.
To Philippe Camille Akoa, FEICOM disburses grants to councils irrespective of their financial backing but based on the importance of the projects. The institution has therefore put in place a mechanism which permits councils to equally benefit from its grants. He said 2012 was special to FEICOM with a significant improvement in the mobilisiation of resources. Revenue collected amounted to FCFA 100.3 billion while resources put at the disposal of councils stood at FCFA 53.3 billion of direct revenue and FCFA 26.8 for projects.
From 2007 to 2013, FEICOM has funded local development initiatives amounting to FCFA 385.7 billion and is looking at 2014 with optimism.
