Time For 'Greater Accomplishments' Out

The Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic has just published the July edition of monthly Presidential activities.

There are four main sectors around which "Le Temps des Réalisation," a special publication by the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic focuses. The sectors are: agriculture and environment, industrial production and processing, services and new technologies as well as governance. The 12-page document is a balance sheet of President Paul Biya's activities in the past six months and has an editorial written by Martin Belinga Eboutou Minister, Director of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency. It equally highlights the work sites that have been launched, those about to be launched and what has already been completed within the context of the "Greater Achievements" policy of the Head of State. There are also some speeches made by the Head of State or his representatives at some major occasions as well as audiences and decisions he has signed to provide the necessary legal environment or appoint those he wants to undertake certain key functions.

Major Accomplishments

While the Ayos-Bonis Highway is a major project that has already been completed, there is the Kribi Deep Sea Port, the Kribi Thermal plant and the Memve'ele Dam that have already been launched. Projects that are about to be officially launched are: the Lom-Pangar Dam, the Yaounde-Douala dual carriage highway, and the Mekin Hydro-electric Dam.

With investors having more confidence in Cameroon, the Head of State not only authorised the Minister of Finance on February 19, 2012 to issue treasury bonds to the tune of FCFA 250 billion, but he also raised the debt level of Cameroon from FCFA 250 to FCFA 450 billion through Ordinance N° 2012/001 of 28 June 2012. On the Yaounde-Douala dual carriage way, President Paul Biya authorised the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development on June 28 to sign a financial agreement with the People's Republic of China and on the same day the deal was sealed with the EXIMBANK-China that will make available the sum of FCFA 241.2 billion for the financing of the first phase of the project.

The agriculture and environmental preoccupations of the Head of State, according to "Le Temps des Réalisations" have equally seen a number of concrete achievements. For instance, potable water, cotton and cassava have been among the areas of concern that the Head of State has ensured effective activities within the first six months of his current seven-year mandate. On March 8, the Head of State authorised the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development to sign a finance agreement with the DEXIAD Bank of Belgium worth FCFA 7.7 billion for the provision of potable water to eight localities across the country. A similar move taken for the provision of potable water in the Centre Region was also signed on April 3 as the International Organisation for Petroleum Exporters and Development accepted to provide FCFA 3 billion for the project.

In the area of services and new information technologies, the Prime Minister, Head of Government laid the foundation stone of the Centre for Emergency in Yaounde on January 18 on behalf of the Head of State. On March 7, he approved the roadmaps for all ministries and on April 10, ANTIC was reorganised.

Some clear achievements in the domain of governance cited by the publication have been the result-based budget management, the creation of the National Civic Service for Participation in Development, among others.

Audiences and Lessons

With at least 21 audiences granted to various international personalities across the globe between January and June 2012, the Head of State has been out to demonstrate, according the Director of the Civil Cabinet in the editorial, that "Greater Achievements" require the involvement of all and sundry. Thus, in cases where other State matters have made it difficult for him to attend certain international gatherings, his close collaborators have been called up to personally represent him. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio + 20 from June 20-22, therefore saw the Minister of External Relations present the Head of State's message to participants in which he highlighted efforts by Cameroon on environmental protection.

The underpinning message from the publication is not just the need to communicate on government action in this era of "Major Accomplishments" but also the fact that the Head of State wants to teach by example. It also indicates a new dynamics for communication on Presidential activities as the publication will henceforth be monthly. More so, the Civil Cabinet, contrary to what others think, is also affirming that among other responsibilities, it is within their competence to sell and defend the image of the Head of State whenever necessary.

The publication opens with the speech by the Head of State during the official launching of the Memve'ele Dam in the locality of Nyabizan, South Region on June 15, 2012 and it is well illustrated with various pictures of the Head of State either granting audiences or presiding at some key national events.

The publication is also available free online through prc.cm and presidenceducameroun.com.