Auteur/autrice : TimesNews2

Members of parliament will this Thursday 18th November 2021 in Yaounde as from 10am ask series of questions to some four government officials in a plenary session. According to the release signed by Secretary General of the national assembly, Gaston Komba, the agenda of today’s plenary sitting will be quite busy. Four government officials will be grilled by members of parliament on preoccupying issues affecting their ministerial departments. The four government officials expected are: minister of state, minister of justice and keeper of the seals, Laurent Esso; minister of state, minister of higher education, Pr. Jacques Fame Ndongo; minister of public works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi and minister of territorial administration, Paul Atanga Nji. This question and answer session will once more permit to law makers to have an in-depth look and be informed into current state’s affairs. Elise Kenimbeni

Members of the constitutional law committee chaired by Honourable Zondol Heresse met on November 17, 2021 in order to review laws governing freedom of associations and inter-trade organizations in Cameroon. The ongoing November ordinary session of parliament unfolds with series of bills examined and reviewed by different committees of the national assembly. On November 17, 2021, the committee in charge of constitutional law under the chairmanship of Honourable Zondol Heresse was tasked to amend some provisions of law No. 90/053 of 19 December 1990 relating to freedom of association defended by the minister of territorial administration, Paul Atanga Nji and bill No 2007/PJL/AN governing inter-trade organizations in Cameroon, which was defended by Gabriel Mbairobe, minister of agriculture and rural development. Minister Paul Atanga Nji while addressing the press mentioned the fact that, there was great need to amend some provisions with regards to ongoing changes observed in the functioning of different associations and organizations. Focus in this 1990 law that governs freedom of associations in Cameroon is on section 5 which particularly calls for an amendment. He said:  “Things are evolving and we have the law which is like the mother law that is the law of 1990… We have some specificities governing some organizations… What the government is doing now is to provide them with the ability to carry-out their activities, taking into consideration the realities of their own movements because political parties have their own way of functioning, syndicates have their own way of functioning, inter-trade organizations and so on.” Agriculture and rural development minister, Gabriel Mbairobe on his part emphasized on the relevance of the bill on inter-trade organization, which seeks to open doors for the marketing and procession of products at all levels. Elise Kenimbeni

Members of the finance and budget committee alongside those of the foreign affairs’ committee held series of working sessions with government officials on Monday 15th November 2021 in Yaounde as part of day three activities of the ordinary session of parliament. On Monday 15th November 2021, activities at the national assembly began with the finance and budget committee setting the pace for tight discussions on the upcoming year’s budget. The first step marked by the team of Honourable Rosette Moutymbo Ayayi, president of the finance and budget committee of the national assembly, was the examination of the 2020 settlement bill. Finance Minister, Louis Paul Motaze while addressing members of the finance and budget committee outlined in the first place the total amount allocated for the 2020 state budget, which stood at 4.409. 047 000.000 FCFA. Louis Paul Motaze stressed on the fact that 166 programmes were covered with measurable objectives and if good performances were achieved despite the coronavirus health crisis, these were thanks to revenues gotten from the oil and tax sectors. At the end of discussions with the committee, the minister told media practitioners that despite COVID-19 threats, the 2020 financial year has witnessed some performances. He said:  “We have noticed that the performances were good because it was at the moment the pandemic arrived in our country and we had a lot of fears. And the execution was quite good because all the goals were reached and even with the resources, we got more than expected, meaning that our performance went to a certain, let us say 104 percent. The difficulties are still there and we are looking forward at the future and when we will be back here, we shall focus on the 2022 budget…” As discussions unfold at the tight November ordinary session of parliament, the team of Rosette Moutymbo Ayayi, finance minister and all the General Managers of his department are on hard duty for the 2022 budget to be defended and adopted. In a meantime, foreign affairs’ committee chaired by Honourable Banmi Emmanuel Dingha scrutinized series of bills. One of these various bills examined is that of the bill to authorize the President of the Republic to proceed with Cameroon’s accession to the Agreement on the Establishment of the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), adopted in Beijing, China on 6 November 1997. The bill was defended by the minister of forestry and wildlife, Jules Doret Ndongo. Social affairs’ minister, Pauline Irène Nguene who later on appeared infont of the committee led by Honourable Banmi Emmanuel defended three bills. The bills are that to authorize the President of the Republic to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted on 13 December 2006; that to ratify the African charter’s protocol for the right of people living with disabilities and that of the African charter’s protocol for the right of elderly persons. The said convention and protocols to be ratified are aimed at promoting, protecting and ensuring equality and equity of Human’s Rights notably for the elderly and people living with disabilities. Elise Kenimbeni

Alamine Ousmane Mey, Minister of economy, planning and regional development during a plenary sitting that took place on Friday 12th of November 2021, outlined the objectives of the 2020-2030 national development strategy, NDS30. As part of activities marking the just launched November ordinary session of parliament for 2021, Members of parliament attended a special plenary sitting chaired by Honourable Hilarion Etong, Vice-president of the national assembly. The session was purely dedicated to the NDS30, which markets key structural projects of Cameroon. Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey was cooked through a series of questions underscored by law makers. In his responses, the minister brought out vital information on the NDS30 which is expected to act as a relief in Cameroon’s economy. According to MINEPAT Boss, much emphases will be laid on the reinforcement of our agricultural produce, taking into account the different challenges that appear in the sector and the ministry of agricultural and rural development has been assigned for a keen follow up. Speaking to the press, Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey said: “Haven elaborated this document, it was important to come again to hear from the national assembly. We had the opportunity to present the four pillars of this strategy. The first one is structural transformation of our economy, the second one is promoting human capital and well-being of the population, the third is about work, job, social economy insertion and the last one is about governance, decentralization. We believe after this participative approach, we have a very strong roadmap to move towards becoming an emerging country by 2035. This has happened before and this has happened today in the national assembly and we hope to continue this conversation with different stakeholders so that ownership and appropriation are really established and then implementation will certainly give the results we are all expecting…”  Priority actions of the NDS30 are centred around, transforming the economy by investing in infrastructure projects; developing human capital by promoting sectors such as education and training, health and social security; promoting employment and professional insertion of young people; improving governance and stepping up decentralization efforts by promoting local development, bilingualism, multiculturalism and living together. Objectives of the NDS30 As stated in the press release of the national assembly, for Cameroon to attain the status of an emerging economy, the various objectives are vital in its national development strategy and goes as follows: An average growth rate that ranges from 4.5% to 8.1% annually between 2020 and 2030  An increase in the secondary sector (non-oil sector) that is more than 8% on average; That the unfavourable terms of trade that represented 8.8% of the GDP in 2018 are reduced to 3% by 2030; That the goods and services it produced or offered reach the threshold of 60%; To scale up its GDP from 28.2% in 2018 to 36.8% by 2030; To increase the funds transferred to local and regional authorities to at least 15% before 2035; To complete all ongoing infrastructure projects;  Finalise terms of payment and commission first generation infrastructure projects such as the Mekin and Lom Pangar hydroelectric dams in order to stave off the shortfall in power supply in Cameroon; To give priority to maintenance of existing equipment and infrastructure, etc. Elise Kenimbeni

The Minister of social affairs, Pauline Irène Nguene is expected this November 15, 2021 at 2:30pm before members of the foreign affairs’ committee of the national assembly, in order to defend three bills related to the well-being of disabled and elderly persons. The full and tight November ordinary session of parliament unfolds its agenda this day with the finance and budget committee meeting and later on in the afternoon with, the scrutiny of bills. The three bills to be defended by the minister of social affairs, Pauline Irene Nguene are: the bill authorizing the President of the Republic to ratify the United Nations’ convention related to the rights of people living with disabilities; the African Charter’s protocol for the right of people living with disabilities and the African charter’s protocol for the right of elderly persons. Minister Pauline Irène will once more appear in front of members of the foreign affairs’ committee for the improvement and promotion of elderly persons’ welfare. Recently during the March session of parliament, the minister of social affairs defended the bill authorizing the President of the Republic to ratify the Marrakech Treaty. The Marrakech Treaty adopted by parliament is aimed at facilitating access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled. Elise Kenimbeni

Right Honourable Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, speaker of the national assembly calls for the collaboration of internally displaced traditional rulers who fled from their chiefdoms, to help government restore peace in the crippled North-West and South-West regions. As of tradition, the opening session of parliament was marked by key messages and calls from the speaker of the national assembly, Right Honourable Cavaye Yeguie Djibril.  The November ordinary session of parliament launched on Thursday November 11, 2021 in Yaounde brought in the lime light salient issues at the time the country is entangled in the Anglophone crisis. In his address, the President of the national assembly of Cameroon saluted the field trips undertaken by Prime Minister; Head of Government in the two English speaking regions in order to restore peace. To the speaker of the national assembly, these field trips were a form of demonstration of President Paul Biya’s firm determination to demand peace in the North-West and South-West regions. Honourable Cavaye Yeguie Djibril seized the official opening session to praise the peaceful move undertaken during one week by Prime Minister, Head of government, Chief Dr. Joseph Dion and by the way called on his peers who fled their palaces during the crisis to return home. The speaker of the national assembly who is the Chief of the Mada palace in his native Tokombere, Mayo-Sava Division of the Far-North region appealed to internally displaced chiefs of the North-West and South-West to regain their chiefdoms. He said: “I cannot possibly judge in their stead what is best under the present circumstances, but I wish to humbly remind them that they have the binding duty to work in synergy with government authorities, to contribute their quota in return to normalcy and in the task of restoring the authority of the State in their respective chiefdoms.” Cavaye Yeguie Djibril in his speech said he is convinced that peace will be restored all over the country for the common good of all Cameroonians. The upcoming African football jamboree to be hosted by Cameroon also featured in the speech of Right Honourable Cavaye Yeguie Djibril. He exhorted all commissions implicated in the organization of the 2021 AFCON Total Energies to brace-up challenges for a successful event. And also underscored the need for a befitting welcome on behalf of Cameroonians who are well-known for their legendary hospitality. The full month ordinary session of parliament which kicked-off is expected to put on the table of members of parliament 2022 state budget for scrutiny. As one of the most fastidious sessions of the national assembly, the November ordinary session will be marked by the passage of all ministers who are to defend their respective budgets before the budget and finance committee. Worthy to note as pointed-out by the speaker of the national assembly, the President of the Republic, Head of State, Paul Biya defined the main orientations and priority actions of the 2022 state budget in a circular that was made public on August 30, 2021. “Some of the priority actions are the eradication of the coronavirus pandemic disease and post-COVID-19 economic recovery.” He said. Elise Kenimbeni