Fcfa 1.71 Billion for Development of 25 Councils

Mayors and Municipal Treasurers drawn from some 25 Councils in the South West Region have been acquainted on the procedures related to the management of fresh funds received within the framework of a financing agreement signed between the National Community-driven Development Programme, PNDP, and the French Development Agency (AFD/C2D).

The one-day training workshop held at the Limbe I Council hall organised by the PNDP South West coordination unit was also an occasion to hand over Global Positioning System (GPS) kits acquired by PNDP to the 25 councils. The GPS kits will enable the beneficiary Councils to draw up thematic maps on the state of infrastructure in their municipalities.

According to the PNDP South West Coordinator, Dr. Nkeng David Atenchong, the fresh funds were received in 2012 but go operational from 2013 to 2015. Each donor, he said, has its mechanism and procedures on requesting and using the funds and these must be respected. The funds, the regional Coordinator intimated, are fallouts of government's lobbying efforts during this era of decentralisation, thus must be used judiciously with far reaching impacts felt in the field. "If these funds are not judiciously used and impact felt, donors may no longer finance the programme," Dr. Nkeng said. For the effective use of C2D funds, the coordinator prescribed projects that are economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sound. He urged them to have the population at heart.

While declaring the workshop open, the 1st Assistant SDO for Fako, exhorted the Municipal authorities to make their respective populations proud by using the funds put at their disposal judiciously, reminding them that the 'Sparrow Hawk' is hovering around for any victim.

The Limbe workshop according to the Capacity Building officer for PNDP South West, Alexander Atangana, was also an opportunity to do a follow-up of financing agreement signed between PNDP and the 25 Councils in 2010-2011. The additional funds from C2D stands at FCFA 1.71 billion in addition to FCFA 3.31 billion earlier donated by the World Bank, already in the accounts of the councils. They were guided to open new accounts with three signatories including that of the Regional Coordinator who is the last endorser before any financial transactions are made.