Gov’t gets 23.21 billion FCFA grant to foster local dev’t.

The grant agreement was signed in a ceremony in Yaounde, on July 11. It is funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency, KOICA.

The grant is destined for the implementation of five projects in the country in the sectors of health, access to drinking water, public procurement, civil status and public administration.

It was signed in the presence of the Minister Delegate at the Presidency of the Republic in charge of Public Contracts, Ibrahim Talba Malla, the Country Director of KOICA, Gyuhong Lee, as well as representatives of the other institutions benefiting from the projects to be financed.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey mentioned that as a legal instrument of cooperation, the signed agreement provides a framework for the use of the funds made available by South Korea.

“Together, through this agreement, our two States are enshrining legal compliance, giving greater solidity and credibility to our partnership, while strengthening the implementation framework in order to guarantee quality works,” Alamine said.

On his part, the Korean diplomat, pointed out that the support, which is not the first of its kind, is the symbol of the commitment of the two nations to promote poverty reduction and economic development.

Nam Ki-Wook emphasised on the need for transparency and mutual respect, for a better realization and implementation of the various projects.

Projects to be financed

Among the projects to be financed by the grants as revealed by MINEPAT is the Development of the Master Plan and the e-Procurement System in Cameroon Phase II, financed to the tune of USD 5.6 million, about FCFA 3.428 billion. 

The project will allow greater transparency and efficiency in the public procurement system in the country through continued digitisation.

Also, the Drinking Water Supply Project in Cameroon supported by this grant agreement to the tune of USD 6.7 million, approximately 3.65 billion FCFA seeks to improve access to drinking water in the Matomb, Massock, Ebebda and Koutaba municipalities. Modern water supply systems will be constructed in these localities.

The Pilot Project for the Computerisation of the National Civil Registry System with BUNEC, the studies of which are currently being carried out, has a budget of USD 4.85 million, FCFA 2.813 billion. 

The expected results of this project will improve the registration rate and the quality of civil registration statistics in Cameroon.  20 municipalities have been selected for the pilot phase.

As for the Project for the Establishment of a Smart Campus for the Promotion of e-Government in Public Administration Institutions, for an amount of USD 8 million, FCFA 4.64 billion. The project will contribute to the modernisation of the public service.

Lastly, the Emergency Medicine System Strengthening Project estimated at 14 million USD, about FCFA 8.4 billion FCFA.

The fund will be used to improve the quality and accessibility of the emergency medical services system in Cameroon. 

It will strengthen governance and capacities of health care providers, including the extension of the emergency center in Yaounde.

According to MINEPAT, all these projects are experiencing an appreciable rate of progress.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3169 of Monday July 15, 2024