MINFI boss announces 96 billion FCFA package for teachers’ grievances.

The member of government made known the plan of the state Monday November 20, 2023. This was during a plenary sitting at the National Assembly. 

Minister Motaze also used the opportunity to present other innovations to be contained in the 2024 Finance Bill, key among which is an exhaustive inventory of State assets.

Groups of teachers, it should be recalled, had, under the "On a Trop Supporté" (OTS) movement also known as ‘Operation Dead Chalk’, since the 2021/2022 academic year, engaged strike actions which continue to paralyse classes in many schools across the country.

The teachers presented grievances including demands for complete revision of the system to make the payment of salaries, advancements and other benefits less cumbersome.

Government had, under the instructions of the Head of State, Paul Biya, embarked on a series of moves aimed at progressively proffering solutions to the concerns of the teachers. 

It is therefore in a bid to completely resolve the worries of the teachers that the state has, as revealed by Minister Motaze, rolled out a settlement plan for teachers in the 2024 state budget and other salary arrears owed state workers. 

Gov’t’s settlement plan for teachers 

Minister Motaze told the Members of Parliament that government has outlined a settlement plan for teachers in its 2024 Finance Bill that will be presented to them for scrutiny. 

"For the 2024 budget, when it's presented to you, you will see that we have earmarked about 193 billion for the clearance of salary debt problems. Of the 193 billion, 96 billion is for teachers," the MINFI boss revealed. 

The member of government said the sum of 96 billion to be paid out in 2024, would add to the 100 billion FCFA already paid by the state to teachers, between March 2022 and September 2023. 

He said of the amount paid out since 2022, teachers of the Ministry of Secondary Education have received 67.54 billion FCFA, while those of the Ministry of Basic Education have received 32 billion FCFA.

The amounts, Minister Motaze told lawmakers, were paid out as part of the implementation process instructed by the Head of State, Paul Biya. 

Minister Motaze presenting innovations in 2024 Finance Bill 

Clears doubts of MPs

Minister Motaze also used the outing to clear the doubts of MPs that members of government were failing to implement the instructions of President Biya to handle the grievances of teachers. 

"In response to the teachers' complaints, the Head of State issued a number of instructions. Government set about doing everything the Head of State asked,” he said.

Motaze went on to explain that the instructions of President Biya touched on specific things that were to be done within particular time frames, all of which were done.

“Some teachers who were aware of our plan, which ran until September 2025, felt that it would take too long...I can understand that, especially from those who had not yet received what was owed them," Minister Motaze stated, while reassuring MPs that the process of clearing what the state owes teachers will continue. 

Motaze also regretted that grievances advanced by teachers’ trade unionists have continued to add, despite efforts by government to find tentative solutions to the essential problems previously mentioned. 

"We have noticed that from time to time, new concerns arise every day. In other words, every time we come up with solutions to the problems posed, the strikers bring us new problems. Now there's the problem of the forum. Initially, this was not one of the demands or points on which the Head of State had given instructions,” the MINFI boss explained. 

Motaze recalled that initial demands of teachers revolved around full payment of salaries and not two third for new recruits, the inclusion of the non-accommodation allowance in the payment of salaries, the acceleration of the payment of advances and family benefits, and the rapid assumption of full responsibility for new recruits.

Unveils innovations in 2024 state budget 

Minister Motaze also used the outing at the National Assembly to unveil innovations contained in the 2024 Finance Bill. 

Key among the innovations, the minister disclosed, will be the process of having an inventory of State assets, notably buildings, cars and land. 

"Some time ago, we launched a major reform in the presentation of the nation's budget. Basically, the aim is to make the nation's budget look like a company's budget. It's a tough job. In other words, in the State's accounts, we should have lists of all the land, all the vehicles, all the buildings-in short, all the State's assets. We have started and are a year into implementation. In other countries, it takes five years. We started with the Ministry of Lands, where we first took a few Regions. Just counting buildings and cars takes an enormous amount of time," the minister revealed. 

Defends other bills 

Minister Louis Paul Motaze also defended Bill N°2043/PJL/AN to authorise the President of the Republic to ratify the Establishment Protocol and Statute of the African Monetary Fund, adopted in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea June 27, 2014, which had been submitted for prior study to the Foreign Affairs Committee, which adopted its report. 

He was keen to dispel any worries about a possible change of currency with the forthcoming advent of the organisation. 

"The African Monetary Fund is not here to impose a single currency. If that were the case, there is an International Monetary Fund, and we have many currencies in the world. So, don't necessarily expect the African Monetary Fund to decide that we need a single currency. It's not necessarily that. The most important thing is financial stability, currency stability...I can't put the cart before the horse and say this is where we're going. We have no indication that this is the solution we're heading for,” Motaze asserted.