3rd quarter evaluation:

Snail-pace execution of PIB projects in Meme

By Doh Bertrand Nua&Mbu Johnson Batuo in Kumba

Chair of Meme PIB follow-up, hon. Atinda

The president of the Meme divisional follow-up committee for the execution of the public investment budget (PIB), Hon. Atinda Martin has expressed gross dissatisfaction at the slow and regressive rate of execution of public investment projects in Meme division.

                He was speaking at the third quarter Meme divisional participatory committee for the follow-up of execution of public investment projects for 2016 which took place recently in Kumba.

                Hon. Atinda Martin alongside the divisional delegate of MINEPAT and his counterparts of public works and public contracts with other sundry members of the committee all expressed worries as to the paltry rate of the execution of PIB projects in the division, with many projects still at 0% execution.

                The committee members  all questioned the mayors as to why the over 27 million FCFA projects for road works in their various councils and many other projects were still at 0% execution.

                Meantime, statistics given by the divisional delegate of the MINEPAT, BuindaGodlove, who doubles as the secretary of the follow-up committee, revealed the execution rate of the PIB in Meme as standing at a regressive rate of 45%, down from 74% at the same period last year.

                For their part, the mayors blamed the heavy rains for the slow pace and non-commencement of the road projects in their municipalities. They promised to begin works by mid October when the rains would have subsided. The mayors hailed the administration for the means put at their disposal to encourage livestock rearing in their communities. They promised to execute this and other projects before the year ends.

                The meeting whose goal was to evaluate the execution of projects in Meme was opened by the second assistant senior divisional officer for Meme, Yongkuma Nelson Gamsi, who equally frowned at the regressive rate of projects’ execution in the division. The ASDO fired a grim warning at recalcitrant contractors and those whose projects are still dragging.

                At the end of the meeting, the members recommended that, the mayors embark on preliminary works on their various road projects while waiting for the end of the heavy rains. It was also recommended that projects be properly planned well ahead of time so that their execution begins as soon as funds are made available. 

                In his closing remark, the chair of the follow-up committee hon. Atinda Martin called on the officials not to belittle the ignorance of some contractors on certain aspects of the contracts law. Martin Atinda said such ignorance is partly responsible for the non respect of projects execution time frame.

                The chairman used the occasion to caution contractors and public works and MINMAP officials to stop fighting each other on the field, and to rather complement their efforts and know-how for a better execution of projects.