20, July 2017
African Development Bank to fund rail line linking Ngaoundere and N’jamena 0
The Government of Cameroon and that of Chad have signed an aide-memoire with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to extend the railway network linking Ngaoundere in Cameroon and Djamena in Chad. Cameroon’s Minister of Transport, Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o chaired the signing ceremony on the 18th of July 2017. The document is in relation to feasibility studies carried out ahead of the construction of the railway linking both cities.
The general manager of Cooperation and Regional Integration, Charles Assamba Ongondo who signed on behalf of Cameroon explained that the three signatories had earlier on, in consultation with the Cameroon – Chad Railway Commission, agreed to carry out studies for the railway. He observed that the board of AfDB will examine the file and decide if they will provide the finances.
For his part, Minister Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o opined that the aide-memoire shall be presented in the next board meeting of the Cameroon – Chad Railway Commission. The railway extension is expected to cover a distance of 900km. The project will be financed to the tune of close to 5000 billion CFAF. This will add up to the transport networks linking up Cameroon and Chad.
Source: CRTV
30, July 2017
“Cameroon among African countries that have improved the quality of their policies” 0
The review is the annual World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) Africa analysis, which scores the progress Sub-Saharan African countries are making on strengthening the quality of their policies and institutions. CPIA ratings have been used to determine the allocation of zero-interest financing and grants for countries that are eligible for support from the International Development Association (IDA), the concessional financing arm of the World Bank Group.
CPIA scores are based on 16 development indicators in four areas: economic management, structural policies, policies for social inclusion and equity, and public sector management and institutions. Countries are rated on a scale of 1 (low) to 6 (high) for each indicator. The overall CPIA score reflects the average of the four areas of the CPIA. Cameroon is one of the countries in sub-saharan Africa that have improved the quality of policies and institutions (CPIA) in 2016, according to the World Bank report published this month of July 2017.
On the upside, Côte d’Ivoire, the Comoros, Cameroon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mauritania, and Sudan have experienced a modest gain in the CPIA score, with most of these countries showing a stronger performance in the quality of governance. In a few countries, the quality of policies for social inclusion and equity also improved, reflecting a strengthening of safety net programs.
In the company of Côte d’ivoire, the Comoros, Guinea, Madagascar, Mauritania and Sudan, Cameroon scored 0.1 points in comparison with the previous year, which made the country obtain a score of 3.2 out of a total of six points available. The required average of 3.1 points, Cameroon by its performance, remains an eligible country in support of the International Development Association (IDA), the concessional financing window of the World Bank Group.
Published each year, the CPIA report assigns a note to each of the countries eligible for IDA support. The notes of the CPIA, which reflect the quality of a country’s political and institutional framework, consist of 16 criteria in four groups, namely economic management (Group a), structural policies (Group B), policies to combat social exclusion and the promotion of equity (Group C) and the management of public sector institutions (Group D).
In these different categories, Cameroon obtained the following notes: 3.5 points, 3.2 points, 3.1 points and 3.0 points respectively. With a score of 4, Rwanda is once again at the top of the ranking. It is closely followed by the Senegal and Kenya both get 3.8.
Source: Cameroon Info.Net