FEICOM, Supreme Court Audit Bench partner to sanitise accounting in councils.

In a solemn ceremony that took place at the headquarters of FEICOM in Yaounde, yesterday October 18, the Director General of FEICOM, Philippe Camille Akoa, and the President of the Audit Bench of the Supreme Court, Yap Abdou, expressed their determination to make sure that accounting and financial management standards in decentralised collectivities, meet the basic standards of accountability and transparency expected from institutions that run on resources provided by the state and money derived from the tax payer.

For Akoa, henceforth, councils and regional administrations that want funds from the Central Administration must have submitted their accounting reports for money they received in the past. 
FEICOM must have also scrutinised the accounting statements, reports and documents presented to ensure that they present a fair view of financial activities for the entity within the given period. Only after such verification can any decentralised structure qualify to receive additional funding from FEICOM.

Therefore, FEICOM and the Audit Bench will from time to time share information, exchange documents and statistics as they relate to the financial and other activities of decentralised collectivities to make sure that the necessary checks and balances required in the disbursement and expenditure of public funds are being respected at the grassroots institutions.

Philippe Camille Akoa, FEICOM DG, talking the press

Even more, basic transparency and accountability are expected from officials of decentralised structures when it comes to sourcing for funds, whether locally or internationally.

This is why FEICOM has been working with the German Cooperation Mission and the Supreme Court to come out with a document that will guide councils and regional administrations as it concerns modern day public finance management.

Akoa assured that when completely put together, the document will serve as instruction manual to be used by teachers of the National School of Local Administration based in Buea, South West Region.

All actions having as overriding aim, to ensure transparency so that grassroots development could be accelerated and decentralised collectivities made havens in which all Cameroonians would love to live in with pride and dignity.

Akoa expressed delight that FEICOM is entering into partnership with the Audit Bench of the Supreme Court, an institution that served as his first home before he was called to take charge of FEICOM. For which reason, Akoa said the partnership will be a fruitful one as it will remain at the service of the nation.

Family photo of officials who witnessed signing of partnership agreement

Audit Bench of the Supreme Court

For Yap Abdou, President of the Audit Bench of the Supreme Court, the agreement opens the way for his institution to effectively carry out its control functions at the grassroots institutions.

Expressing hope that since they and FEICOM will henceforth exchange information, accounting data, reports and other documents, the Audit Bench will be better placed to appraise the performance of councils and regional councils and will be in the right frame of understanding and knowhow to recommend sanctions for grassroots institutions that fail to live up to the standards of accountability and transparency in management of public finances expected of them.