Monday, 12 June 2017

Slow decentralization process:



NW mayors harass gov’t
Mayors of the 34 councils in the North West region who constitute the North West bureau of the United Councils and Cities of Cameroon have expressed worries over feet dragging by some government ministries as regards the effective implementation of the decentralization process.
                This was during the 9th ordinary general assembly meeting of the organization in Fundong, Boyo Division on May 30th 2017.
                The Mayors frowned at Ministry of Public Contracts for failing to ensure the functioning of tender’s boards in councils despite a Prime Ministerial decree that ordered that Tender Boards be created in Councils and the non-payment of contracts with credits from the 2016 decentralisation fund.
                “You can’t imagine mayors were told to go ahead and execute the projects and at moment, creditors are on our necks whereas this money hasn’t been paid till date. These are things that are slowing down the decentralisation process and putting us the mayors in very difficult situations” bemoaned Mayor Khan Elroy Moses of Santa and President of UCCC North West.
                He noted that although some Councils have created these tenders boards, their members are yet to be appointed. He wondered why the Minister Public Contract is not taking the necessary measures to salvage the situation.
                Moreover, the UCCC president revealed that for two months running, the Mayors have not received their salaries, questioning whether the government always wants citizens to go on strike before they listen or react.
                Despite these challenges, the elected municipal authorities singled out the Ministry of public works for praise in its greater strive to ensure the implementation of decentralisation through the yearly allocation of funds to councils for road maintenance and rehabilitation.

                North West regional delegate of Public works Denis AwohNdang in a presentation outlined government strategy in road development in the region for 2017, stating that his ministry has allocated funds for some major roads in all divisions. While presenting the state of executed road projects in the council areas for 2016, the public works delegate called on the mayors to double efforts.
                On his part, Fonyuy Fidelis Regional tax controller for the North West who doubles as Mayor of Mbiami drilled the mayors on tax policies of councils. He insisted that tax rates adopted by councils in their budgetary sessions must not be above what is prescribed by the Ministry of Finance.
                He said in the collection of taxes, councils must collaborate with the taxation services in their localities so that they don’t act out of what the law prescribes stressing further that councils will be in a very difficult position if they fail to pay their own taxes.
                The deliberations were chaired by the Secretary General at the North West Governor’s office Harry Larnyuy who in his speech told the mayors that being at the centre of development in their municipalities; they have to collaborate with state technicians in various domains if they must succeed to realize water, roads, and health and electricity projects to benefit the local population.
                Harry Larnyuy warned that the current crisis in the region with the destruction and burning of properties is having an untold consequence on the regions’ development. He said there is no reason why the councils should construct schools and vandals go out and burn them. He tasked the mayors to educate their population on the need to stop such barbaric acts which only help to destroy. The general assembly closed with the Bui divisional bureau of UCCC backing home a 100 000 cash prize for being the most transparent and best managed of the seven bureaus in the North West for 2016.

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