The Minister of Post and Telecommunication made a fool of herself and President Biya while presenting a paper at the so-called Cameroon Business Forum. Minnette Libom Li Likeng was asked about the suspension of Internet in the English-speaking regions of the country and the Biya acolyte acknowledged that the expansion of the digital economy as requested by President Paul Biya cannot be done without Internet.

“The Head of State has said that the whole Government should mobilize to achieve the expansion of the digital economy. And it cannot be done without the Internet.”  The inefficient cabinet minister also observed that internet will be reinstated in Southern Cameroons only when things return to normal.

Since 17 January 2017, the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon have been deprived of Internet services by the Francophone dominated regime in Yaoundé.  Numerous international organizations have denounced the move with little or no results.  By the end of February 2017, the NGO Internet Without Borders estimated the losses related to this cut at about 832 million FCFA.

By Rita Akana with files from CIN

After a failed Southern Cameroons mission that was aimed at re-launching the school year in the two Anglophone regions of the country, Prime Minister Philemon will travel from Yaoundé this Monday, March 13, 2017 to Douala, in the Littoral Region. During his stay of less than 24 hours in the economic capital, the Head of Government accompanied by several ministers, will preside from 10 am in the conference room of the Sawa hotel in the Bonanjo neighborhood, the eighth Session of the Cameroon Business Forum (CBF). This year’s business meeting will be held under the theme “Enhancing the Competitiveness of the Economy through the facilitation of cross-border trade”.

Government sources say participants in the economic forum from the private and public sectors as well as civil society will also assess the status of the implementation of the resolutions adopted at the seventh session that held in the economic capital on March 15, 2016.

“The Cameroon Business Forum is the forum of dialogue par excellence between the inefficient CPDM regime and the very efficient private sector whose main tasks are to strengthen consultation between the public authorities and the business community, improving the business climate and supporting private sector development “.

Louis Paul Motaze, then Secretary General of the Prime Minister’s Office, commissioned the Cameroon Business Forum which was created in January 2009 by the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group.

By Rita Akana with files from CIN

The Health and Sanitation Company of Cameroon (HYSACAM) has signed a five-year contract with the Bamenda Urban Council in Southern Cameroons. The company has successful managed urban waste chain: collection, transport, treatment, recycling and recovery for the past 46 years. The French establishment deployed its team and heavy equipments in the Bamenda province of Southern Cameroons on February 22, 2017.  We understand the city of Bamenda is the 10th chief city that has contracted HYSACAM for the professional collection of household garbage in Cameroon.

There are 15 Cameroonian towns and cities served by HYSACAM. They include Yaoundé, Douala, Bafoussam, Ngaoundéré, Garoua, Maroua, Bertoua, Buea, Limbe, Kribi, Edéa, Ebolowa, Sangmélima, Meyomessala and Bamenda.

The CEO Michel Ngapanoun was quoted as saying that “We had to industrialize the urban waste collection and treatment methods and we created almost 4,000 jobs. So in 40 years, there has been an expansion. Little by little, together we have woven the canvas of cleanliness irrigating in the cities of Cameroon.”

Report by CIR

A new management team has taken over the administration of the Bank of Central African States, BEAC. Abbas Mahamat Tolli from Chad and Dieudonné Evou Mekou from Cameroon who were appointed at the 27th Special Session of Heads State of the Economic Community of Central African States (CEMAC) in Malabo late last year assumed duty in Yaoundé on Monday.

Other officials of the Mahamat Tolli-led management include the secretary general Désiré Guedon from Gabon, the Director General of Operations Cedric Ondaye Ebauh from the Republic of Congo and the Director General of general control Bienvenu Marius Roosevelt Feimonanzoui from the Central African Republic.

Meanwhile, the former governor of the bank, Lucas Abaga Nchama from Equatorial Guinea who managed the financial institution since February 2010 left Cameroon on Tuesday. During a farewell ceremony at the Star Building, the Prime Minister and head of government, Philemon Yang knighted the former governor with the medal of Commander of the Cameroon National Order of Valour on behalf of President Paul Biya.

 “Beyond managing the central bank, I learnt a lot in Cameroon” Lucas Abaga Nchama told the press shortly before leaving Yaoundé. “Cameroon is a country that ensures leadership in economics and other domains in the sub region.”

BEAC serves as the central bank of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. “The bank is doing well considering the current economic trend. If appropriate measures were not taken, it would have had an impact on the stability of the currency,” Lucas Abaga Nchama said.

Cameroun Info.Net

The Minister of Finance Alamine Ousmane Mey has chaired the annual conference of officials of the central and external services of the Ministry of Finance.  Ousmane Mey revealed that some areas within his department were in need of some form of structural adjustments. The Biya acolyte identified excessive debt as one of them.

He said the ministry of finance will in 2017; ensure that investment will not hinder growth. The CPDM regime plans to rely on contributions from financial vote holders to finance development projects without necessarily consuming public resources. The Minister recommended that public and external debts be maintained at reasonable levels. He identified the mobilization of tax revenue as means of sustaining the country’s internal debt.

Alamine Ousmane Mey said finance officials should be more vigilant and discipline in the handling of public expenditures.  The Finance minister expressed satisfaction at the elasticity of the domestic economy.  Between 2010/2015, the Cameroon’s internal debt has increased from 1904 billion to 4489 billion FCFA representing 26.7%n Gross Domestic Product.

CRTV

Nigerian oil and gas workers have staged a walkout, claiming that they have not received payment. The industrial action on Tuesday affected at least 12 flow, compressor and pumping stations in the southern state of Delta. Workers said a closure of facilities was also possible in the coming hours.

All facilities affected were operated by Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The strike could seriously affect Nigeria’s already battered oil production. The sector has been suffering from back-to-back attacks by militants of the Delta region.

Reports said the continued strike could also hit supplies to the Utorogu natural gas plant, one of the biggest in Nigeria. That could mean power shortages for domestic use. Worker representatives said they had informed NPDC officials of the action last week. They said they would not go back to work until their demands are met.

Nigeria, one of the leading oil producers in Africa, has lost nearly a third of its oil production over the past years, mainly due to militant attacks in Delta region. The militants want a fair share of oil income for the impoverished region, something the government has resisted in light of the slump in the global oil prices in the past few years. Abuja has managed to reach ceasefires with militants, but sporadic attacks have continued.

Nigeria has also been battling militants of the Takfiri group Boko Haram in its northern regions, further draining its oil-driven finances. Rampant corruption in the military and state institutions has seriously hampered government efforts for shoring up the economy.

Presstv