Minister unveils project to increase communities’ access to climate-resilient infrastructures.

The project dubbed Performance Based Grants, PBG, is an initiative of the Ministry of Decentralisation and Local Development.

The project was presented to a small group of journalists during a press conference Wednesday October 9. The presser took place in Yaounde.

It was gathered that the Performance Based Grant mechanism is part of the Local Governance and Resilient Communities Project, PROLOG, funded by the World Bank. 

The grant will target all 187 Councils which make up the six regions covered by Local Governance and Resilient Communities Project, PROLOG.

The regions include, Far North, North, Adamawa, East, North West and South West. Amounting to 28.3 billion FCFA, the grant will assist communities to factor in climate change, natural disasters, influx of refugees and other types of crises.

Speaking during the press conference before fielding questions from prying reporters, the Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development, Georges Elanga Obam, stated that Cameroon has encountered several problems over the years, including both internal and external crises. 

He said the socio-political instability in the North West and South West regions combined with external threats such as Boko Haram attacks in the Far North and North, has had a significant influence on the nation. 

The member of government explained that the influx of refugees from the Central African Republic has strained the Adamawa and East regions. He said natural disasters and climate change has been exacerbating the situation throughout the country.

The minister was blunt that the recent floods recorded in the Far North and North regions show that the importance of Regional and Local Authorities in strengthening Climate-resilient infrastructure cannot be underestimated. 

“Often perceived as entities whose primary objective is to meet the basic social needs of Communities, their responsibilities go well beyond these daily operations. With respect to preparation and mitigation of the effects of large-scale disasters, Local Authorities appear as essential actors,” the minister noted.

He was categorical that the role of Regional and Local Authorities is fundamental to preserving the safety of communities, fostering prosperity and promoting sustainability.

Minister Obam said government, in its vision of sustainable development, provides permanent support to the Regional and Local Authorities, RLAS for the exercise of the powers devolved to them and supports them in resolving crises and exogenous shocks. 

He said the permanent support from government has made it possible to limit the negative effects of exogenous shocks on GDP growth and to significantly reduce the resurgence of internal conflicts.

Role of regional, local authorities crucial

Speaking further during Wednesday’s presser, Minister Elanga Obam was unequivocal that “It is essential for Regional and Local Authorities, RLAS to better understand their specific infrastructure needs, particularly to identify bottlenecks and resilience gaps that require immediate attention”. 

The minister continued that successfully addressing the said issues was critical to the effectiveness of response strategies during challenging times.

He said by adopting and implementing rigorous building codes and standards that reflect the latest advances in disaster-resilient construction, RLAS ensure the creation of infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather conditions, earthquakes, and other significant hazards. 

The approach, he said not only preserves the well-being of the community, but also provides economic benefits by reducing future expenses associated with repairs and reconstruction after the disaster thereby improving overall resilience in a sustainable manner.

Additional envelope of 28.3 billion FCFA

He recalled that: “It is in this context that in February 2022, Cameroon was declared eligible for resources from the International Development Association, IDA19 Prevention and Resilience Allocation, PRA, which aims to support the Government's efforts to reduce conflict risks and strengthen the country's resilience to fragility, conflict and violence, FC. This support from the World Bank is in line with the ongoing process of accelerating and deepening decentralization, which places Regional and Local Authorities, RLAS at the heart of the fight against poverty at the grassroots level”.

The minister recounted that Cameroon had signed with the World Bank on November 20, 2023, an IDA Credit Agreement 72130-CM for the financing of the Local Governance and Resilient Communities Project, PROLOG for an amount of 300 million dollars or approximately 189 billion FCFA Francs, for a period of five years. 

The development objective of the project, he said is to increase communities' access to climate-resilient infrastructure, and to strengthen local capacities to manage resources and provide services.

The Performance-Based Grant, PBG initiative, he explained is a new financing window for Regional and Local Authorities established by the government through the Local Governance and Resilient Communities Project, PROLOG.

The new window, he said will provide an additional envelope of 28.3 billion FCFA for a period of three years for the benefit of eligible RLAS.

The minister disclosed that the subsidies will be granted to the Regional and Local Authorities on the basis of their achievement of performance indicators not only in terms of local governance, but also in terms of the delivery of services to the population.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3256 of Friday October 11, 2024