UNDP, gov’t strategise to raise resources for continuous implementation.

Governance, economic resilience programme:

The UN lead global development organ and government carried out the brainstorming during the Steering Committee meeting of the Support Program for Strategic Governance and Economic Resilience. The meeting was held in Yaounde Monday. 

The session which also focused on the evaluation of the ground covered in the implementation of the programme last year was attended by the Deputy Resident Representative of the UNDP in Cameroon, Martin Hart-Hansen and the Secretary General of MINEPAT, Jean Tchoffo.

The Support Programme for Strategic Governance and Economic Resilience which was launched last year, falls within the series of projects that are currently being implemented in Cameroon through the diverse interventions within the framework of the UNDP Country Programme Document, the CPD for the 2022-2026 period.

The programme, per officials, aligns with the 2020-2030 National Development Strategy 2030 which aims to strengthen strategic management and create the conditions for achieving structural transformation of the Cameroonian economy while improving the resilience of the population to various socio-economic shocks.

Speaking to the press at the end of Monday’s working session, the Deputy Resident Representative of the UNDP Martin Hart-Hansen said discussions during the Steering Committee meeting was fruitful and laid solid groundworks towards raising funds for the continuous effective implementation of the scheme.

Hart-Hansen lauded what he described as the pragmatic approach given to the programme by the government saying the latest discussions will give way for the rapid continuous implementation of the crucial program in the country as envisaged by the UNDP.

“Discussion focused on how to effectively implement this document. One of the key issues targeted was resource mobilization. The UNDP and the government will work to put together a strategy to raise the required resources that are needed for the various initiatives that we want to implement,” he said. 

“I really want to appreciate the very pragmatic approach that MINEPAT has to this work and we are fully committed to standing with the government to also raise the resources that is required for us to implement this very initiative,” the UNDP representative added.

He said decisions arrived at will play a key role in increasing the coordination and the synergies between the various initiatives that UNDP and the government led by MINEPAT are carrying out, insisting such an atmosphere is very much in line with what the overall program is focused on doing.

UNDP aiming to cover more grounds

According to the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, several of the projects that were outlined for execution under the program last year were pushed forward to the year 2024. Despite the setback, Hart-Hansen said the UNDP remains fully committed to the programme. 

He said the institution is hoping that more successes will be recorded in the course of the year 2024 especially considering the constraints the program faced in terms of resources last year notably the finalisation of Medium-Term External Resources Framework started last year.

“Given the resources that were available in 2023, I think we achieved a lot of great results. Several of the initiatives we had were carried forward into 2024. We have committed together to make sure that all the different initiatives, studies and strategies, tools and mechanisms that we launched in 2023 will be completed in 2024 so that we can start the impact of this initiative,” he said.

Gov’t confident project in right direction 

Speaking during the opening of Monday’s session, the Secretary General at the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Jean Tchoffo hailed the project. 

He said is already showing good signs and will go a long way in boosting national development in Cameroon especially under the National Development Strategy Plan which is one of the major pillars the scheme is supporting.

The Director of the section of the program in charge of the production of national strategic instruments at the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Dr Saïdou Hamadou said he and his team making several plausible strides under the program last year through the execution of several projects.

He said the group is looking forward to continuously work with the UNDP as a crucial player in its bid to continuously have a fruitful time in the course of the implementation of the project this year.