Reinforcing Decentralisation:

Gov’t envisages more transfer of competences to local councils

By Rachel NtubeNgwese

Rene Emmanuel Sadi

The national decentralization strategy, a reference document elaborated by the government to guide public action in the putting in place of the decentralization process in Cameroon has been evaluated in Yaounde. This was during the course of an inter-ministerial committee of decentralized local services which met recently to examine the progress made so far; the stakes, challenges and the way forward of the ongoing decentralization process in Cameroon.

                The minister of territorial administration and decentralization Rene Emmanuel Sadi who chaired the committee explored the benefit of decentralized corporations in the construction of Africa in general and Cameroon in particular. He thanked partners especially the German support in the building of local capacities in legislative and regulatory instruments.

                Despite the enormous efforts made so far in the application of decentralization, he admitted the challenges still remain at the level of transfer of competence to decentralized local collectivities.

                The strategic document designed in line with the country’s vision for 2035 comprises of four main parts which elaborates the state of affairs and the diagnoses of the decentralization process, the different challenges, the actions, follow up and evaluation measures.

                According to the director of decentralized collectivities in the ministry of territorial administration and decentralization, OwonaOwona Etienne, the focus of the committee was principally to reaffirm the political will of the government to move forward decentralization through greater transfer of competence to local collectivities, and to ensure the effective implication of citizens in the successfully application of the decentralization process.

                This will involve the proper definition of the role of each actor, citizenship education and the respect of the moral values of the state. Most importantly, the effective implication of frontier communities will be another point of focus in the coming years.