Minister Elanga Obam sets 2023 blueprints, says implementation on track.

The member of government made the observation in Yaounde Thursday April 20. He was speaking during the first ordinary session of the Interministerial Committee on Local Services, ICLS, for the year 2023.

The ICLS session took place at the conference room of the Centre Regional Council. The focus of yesterday’s session was to suggest proposals to enable the formulation of relevant recommendations for better implementation.

During the proceedings, representatives of the Ministries of Housing and Urban Development, Environment Nature Protection and Sustainable Development, Transport, Tourism and Leisure, and Public Health, presented the terms and conditions for supporting the devolution of powers to regions after the signature of five decrees, and later, order on specifications.

The Ministry of Mines and Technological Development also provided clarification on the powers devolved by the State to Councils in terms of the creation and development of industrial activity zones. This, it was revealed, is the subject of Decree No. 2015/1370/PM of 2 June 2015.

In his address Minister Elanga Obam, who doubles as the Chairperson of the ICLS, stated that the holding of the Interministerial Committee on Local Services marked a new beginning. He regretted the fact that the committee was able to hold only a single session last year due to due to financial challenges. 

The MINDDEVEL boss however assured members that these worries have been addressed. He seized the occasion to call on them to put all hands on deck to ensure that all four sessions are held this year.

“What we are doing today is a new beginning of the activities of our committee. We did not function last year very well because of financial problems. As these problems have been resolved, we intend to hold our four sessions,” the minister said.  

He went further to add that “more and more administrations are transferring competences to local and regional authorities. The means that are going with the competences are put at their disposal and we are helping the local and regional authorities to exercise these competences to the benefit of our population.”

The minister also said that considering the actions that have been taken for the operationalisation of regions, the acceleration of the decentralisation process is on track. 

This, he reiterated, is in accordance with the will repeatedly expressed by the President of the Republic, President Paul Biya.

“Our committee as I said will have to play its role with even more enthusiasm. It will be up to it through its technical secretariat, to finalise, as soon as possible, the last draft decrees setting out terms and conditions for the exercise of powers devolved to regions and to complete them with drafts orders laying down specification,” Elanga Obam said. 

The ICLS hopes to continue in its efforts to contribute to the advancement of the decentralization process in the country,