Public Investment Budget: Low execution in NW, SW blamed on inertia, insecurity.

This was during the third quarter meeting of the National Committee for the Follow-up of the Physical and Financial Execution of Public Investment.

It held theme: “Together for an Optimal Execution of the PIB Project”.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Member of Parliament for Buea Urban, Hon Malomba Esembe, 

said administrative bottlenecks were largely responsible for the relatively low level of public investment projects execution in the South West Region added to insecurity due to the ongoing Anglophone crisis. 

The lawmaker who doubles as the President of the South West Regional Follow-up Committee for Public Investment Budget, as at September during the South West Regional first review meeting, PIB execution stood at 62.9%.

He sounded upbeat that with the recommendations made and guidance from central administration, the execution level in the South West Region could hit one 100% by end of year. 

Hon Malomba described rising insecurity as a milder problem compared to administrative bottlenecks that are really their main challenge.

The MP, however, expressed hope that with the instructive and constructive exchanges they had during the meeting in Yaounde, there will be remarkable improvement by the time they came for their next review meeting. 

Hon Malomba expressed dismay that the accelerated decentralisation process that was expected to reduce bottlenecks and make for easy and faster execution of projects, due to more rapid decision making, does not seem to be living up to what the population expected.

Statement from National Follow-up Committee

According to the President of the National Follow-Up Committee for the Execution of PIB, Hon Rosette Moutymbo epouse Ayayi, there was generalised low level of execution of the PIB in councils across the nation. She said this could partly be attributed to the absence of priority budgeting in councils.

She remarked that apart from some councils in Douala and Yaounde, there was a general low level of PIB execution across the length and breadth of the country.

Even more worrying, she stated is the near absence or low level of participation of council officials, including mayors at deliberations that focus on how to improve on the level of execution of the PIB. 

She called for increased monitoring and supervision of council officials and other actors in the field so as to improve the situation.

Hon Rosette Ayayi called on committee members to work towards ensuring that poor execution of projects; and at worst, none execution at all were things of the past. 

She insisted that with utmost determination by all members, strong resolutions could be reached and workable recommendations made for PIB to better be executed to improve living conditions of Cameroonians. 

She appreciated committee members for their sectors of activity, alluring that if everyone puts his or her competence and expertise to optimal use, there would be no reason why councils should continue recording low levels of PIB execution.

Hon Rosette Ayayi, who is also President of the Budget and Finance Committee of the National Assembly, praised the work of the Technical Committee for the Follow-Up of PIB, asserting that it was thanks to the excellent work that the Technical Committee did, that made it possible for the third quarter session to hold successfully.

She further disclosed that before the session held, the Technical Committee members held their own meeting on November 7, with Prof Isaac Tamba, the President of the Technical Committee, presiding.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3288 of Tuesday November 12, 2024