FEICOM, UCCC seal deal to foster local economic dev’t.

The deal was signed Thursday February 9, by UCCC’s National President, Augustin Tamba and FEICOM General Manager, Camille Philippe Akoa. This was during an event at the UCCC head office in Yaounde.

The agreement setting the framework of partnership is said to run for five years. It comes to renew an existing cooperation between both institutions.

“We signed a new agreement between FEICOM and UCCC and this new agreement has now prolonged the last agreement we had,” FEICOM GM, said, adding that “what we have seen with the new UCCC executive, is that the president and councils are striving towards economic growth and we want to support that vision”.

He further explained that the deal is also in line with the reorganisation of FEICOM by Presidential decree No. 2008/635 of October 31, 2018. The reorganisation broadens and strengthens FEICOM’s missions to promote the development of a new code of intervention in favour of councils. In such a code, a window is dedicated to financing projects related to local economic development.

Speaking on behalf of UCCC President, the institution’s General Treasurer, Gregory Mewanu, said the signing of the partnership puts into practice, the vision of the Head of State on decentralisation which places the present and future of Cameroon into the hands of local elected officials.

“That is what UCCC is actually doing because we are getting into a special partnership agreement, which is a modification of the old partnership we had. This is to suit the new dynamic of decentralisation such that the councils could get directly involved in the production of local riches based on their respective resources,” the UCCC official explained to the press.

While indicating that UCCC is seeking for councils to engaged in specific areas to achieve development, Mewanu stressed on the role of FEICOM in their strive for development.

“Mayors that we are, can’t do that without FEICOM because it is the bank of councils. That is why we thought it’s an absolute necessity that FEICOM and UCCC which actually represent the 360 councils and 14 city councils come together into this partnership and reinforce our collaboration,” Mewanu added.

The five-year agreement is structured around four priority areas, notably; strengthening institutions, fostering local economic development, promoting the municipal drive on the national and international level and  strengthening the capacities of elected officials and municipal staff.

Through this agreement, FEICOM and UCCC undertake to support each other within the framework of their respective functions and recommends joint financing of operational action plans.

It should be recalled that Law No.2019/024 of 24th December 2019, instituting the General Code of Regional and Local Authorities marked a turning point in speeding up of the decentralisation process in Cameroon.

The said law, among other things, prescribes the empowerment of Regional and Local Authorities, thereby making them privileged actors in the development agenda of the country. This, is in line with what is set out in the National Development Strategy, NDS 2020-2030.

This imperative is said to have enriched the vision of UCCC, aiming at transforming territories in the country as ‘productive councils’. Local communities are, however, genuinely considered levers of growth. Experts say local communities can implement value-added projects that will create wealth and employment opportunities.