Councils told to adopt public private partnership policy

Officials of local councils have been told that potentially viable projects can be built through third party involvement.

The Support Council for the Realisation of Partnership Contracts in Cameroon, CARPA, has told Yaounde-based Mayors that local projects of great technical and financial value can easily be executed through public private partnership.

The putting in place in 2006 of a law laying down the conditions for private sector participation in the construction of infrastructure and public service facilities gives local councils the opportunity to partner with third parties for the execution of potentially viable projects, the Chairperson of CARPA, Dieudonné Bondoma Yokono said.

He was speaking in Yaounde on July 13, 2016, during the institution’s information day.

The information day is part of CARPA’s drive to incite local and public bodies to commit to public private partnership which remains a driver of growth for an emerging country, he stated.

The construction of markets and touristic sites, among others, can easily be achieved through private investors, CARPA notes.

Its contribution is basically information sharing, especially at a time local council officials lack knowledge on facilities offered by the 2006 law on partnership contracts.

“We are discussing and showing them the legal framework and we expect mayors to execute projects through public private partnership,” Mr Bondoma stated, saying it was possible to mobilise investors for such schemes.