Economy

At inauguration of Buea Central Market shops: FEICOM GM lauds Germany’s contribution to decentralisation drive.

Partial view of sheds at Buea Central Market

The Director General of the Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance, FEICOM, Philippe Camille Akoa, has praised the support of the German government to Cameroon’s decentralisation drive.

Camille Akoa was speaking yesterday in Buea, Fako Division of the South West Region. This was during a ceremony to inaugurate some shops at the Buea Central Market.

The Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development, Georges Elanga Obam, inaugurated the shops.

The shops were constructed with funds from the German government through the German Development Bank, KfW. The project, officials disclosed, gulped over 600 million FCFA.

According to the FEICOM DG, since the German government introduced the FEICOM-Medium Cities Decentralisation Programme in 2014, it has spared no effort in releasing funds to make sure it succeeds.

Akoa said the programme focuses on the funding of sub projects like markets in beneficiary medium cities with populations of up to, but not below 30,000 inhabitants.

He said it’s from the provision contained in the first component of Germany’s support that Buea and Tiko municipalities in the South West Region are beneficiaries.

Ten other medium sized councils in the West, North, and Far North Regions, he said, have also benefitted.

He further announced that four completed market projects had already been inaugurated prior to that of Buea yesterday.

Meanwhile, Camille Akoa said the second component of the programme deals with assistance to medium cities through support for planning sub projects, support to project management, counseling, support to improve on revenue generation and collection, support for maintenance and sustainable management of infrastructure and support for financial management.

He added that it also focuses on debt management, periodic and annual budgeting as well as measures which councils can adopt to improve transparency and citizen participation.

**FEICOM GM reading inaugural plaque as other officials look on**

Plea for programme renewal

While indicating that the FEICOM-Medium Cities Decentralisation Programme with funds from the German government has ended, Camille Akoa pleaded for it to be renewed.

He indicated that the governments of Cameroon and Germany are about to discuss and redefine new terms of cooperation for the next five years.

The FEICOM boss made a fervent appeal to the Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development, Georges Elanga Obam, to press on hierarchy to ensure the project features.

Camille Akoa also paid tribute to the late former Mayor of Buea, Patrick Ekema Esunge, who initiated and started the Buea Central Market project.

For Minister Elanga Obam, the people of Buea must continue to demonstrate resilience despite hurdles.

**Officials pose in front of some of the inaugurated sheds**

He described Buea as the place where the nation’s decentralisation story started unfolding over two centuries ago.

He further asserted that national development is anchored on the upgrading and development of decentralized structures.

Elanga Obam declared that government is doing everything to beef up capacities at the level of regional and municipal councils so that Cameroonians can take their destinies into their hands in terms of local development.