CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
by Sylvestre Tetchiada, Cameroon, March 1999
THEME = DEVELOPMENT
After ten years of stabilization, of adjusting and restructuring
the economy,
and after seven years of democratic transition, Cameroon is experiencing
an economic improvement and a political stability favourable for on-going development.
In this new context, the State has made the fight against poverty its priority
Cameroon is classified among those countries described as being «in severe hardship» from the point of view of human development. In the 1998 World Human Development Report, it was ranked 132nd on the Human Poverty Index. Today, the situation is even more critical. Available data and figures published regularly since 1998 gives everyone cause for concern. Indeed, The Yaoundé Office of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) says in a peremptory way: «Every other Cameroonian is poor».
1999 statistics estimate Cameroon has a population of 14 million people, half of them poor. In 1998, the percentage of poor people was given as 30.9%. This means nearly a third of Cameroon's population suffers from some kind of destitution within such areas as life expectancy, education and living conditions. In 1996, UNDP experts reported that Cameroonian households earmarked 47.7% of their budget for such items as food, drink and tobacco. Looking more closely at this ratio: poor households used 53.3% of their budget for this purpose, as against 50.4% for average households and 39.4% for the rich.
Most of the household expenses are taken up with providing for food, housing and health i.e. just over 75% of the total 2,372 billion CFA francs spent on consumer goods for 1996. An inquiry carried out among households on behalf of UNDP's 1998 Report on Human Development (UNDP, Yaounde, January 1999) indicates that in 1996, the breadwinner in 41.5% of households was out of work. This report underlines that 13.4% of the population classified as «poor», live in the urban centres (where 30% of the country's population live). 86.6% of the poor live in rural areas (where 70% of the population live).
Since the economic crisis has grown worse, more than 1,040 businesses in Cameroon have declared themselves bankrupt. This means the number of poor people in the towns has grown. In rural areas, agriculture is the main source of revenue for the poor.
In western regions, 90% of rural people have plots of land which they cultivate. They also go in for a small amount of animal husbandry such as rearing chickens and pigs. Poverty is not so intense in the forest regions or on the high plateaux, especially among households where food crop cultivation is the order of the day. Many poor people are to be found in areas where there's not much in the way of arable land and where both floods and drought are rather frequent. The northern region, especially, is prone to these disasters.
It should be noted that areas richer in natural resources also have poverty problems. The Eastern Province, for example, is rich in wood, gold and other valuable ores. However, this area is extremely short in socio-economic infrastructures and social services.
3 November 1997 was Inauguration Day for the President. In his inaugural address, the President stated: «Before the presidential election, I made it clear to the electorate that social justice and improving living conditions would be priorities for my seven-year term of office». Following this, during a special Cabinet meeting held on 9 December 1998, the Cabinet issued a «Strategy for Fighting Against Poverty». Previously, consultations had taken place with various government ministries and with the Prime Minister, likewise with the private sector of industry, NGO's and representatives from the civil society.
At the end of 1998, a definite government policy on eradicating poverty was announced. On 30 December, the Prime Minister's office published an important communique, announcing a number of measures to be taken together with his government-team, in order to eliminate poverty from the country.
With this in view, those citizens directly involved in ensuring Cameroon's progress towards development, said they would take a look at similar experiences elsewhere in the world and more locally, in the same region. «Development with complete impartiality», was to be their watchword.
New and specific paths have been traced. Such a development programme must take on board Cameroon's macroeconomic policies and economic projects; it must target those most at risk; micro- enterprises and the informal sector are to be included; it must be built on sure foundations.
A year ago, a National Management Programme (PNG) was set up with the UNDP's technical support, to serve as the driving force in the fight against poverty. The government's declaration indicated that «more detailed plans for the fight against poverty, should be available at the latest by 30 April 1990».
Those concerned say the PNG must be prepared to: Challenge the fact that there are failings within the government set-up; organise and actualise the decentralisation programme (as contained in the new Basic Law promulgated by the President on 18 January 1996 and which has still not been activated); open itself up to ways and means of bringing to the forefront such issues as freedom and human rights.
The government has taken a specific decision to eradicate poverty. With this in mind, the UNDP experts call for ways and means to bring about the necessary reforms, which would include taking positive action for guaranteeing that all appropriate economic measures are observed.
Following the example of most developing countries, Cameroon has taken upon itself to break with a past dominated by an excessive centralisation of power, and to work towards a situation in which the people will really be able to influence the country's socio- economic development.
During the March 1999 parliamentary session, the government has undertaken to make decentralised local bodies, useful tools in achieving lasting human development. Jean Jacques Ndoudoumou, who is the PNG's coordinator, says: «Henceforth, it is recognised that decentralisation is one of the best ways of empowering ordinary people to participate in decisions that affect their lives. Decentralisation makes it possible to both visualise and bring development programmes to reality, while at the same time ensuring that development goes hand-in-hand with impartiality and the citizens are associated with such programmes».
Some NGO leaders who took part at the meeting organised by the government where the project was being discussed, urged that the activities aimed at fighting against poverty should be carried out on a local level, in order to guarantee the project's success. In other words, involve the local people and their communities. This would then allow for the opening up of the administration, which presently consists of bureaucratic and unproductive heavyweights. At present, many development programmes never seem to get off the ground.
All things considered, the government's option for working together in the crusade against poverty is seen by everyone as one of the positive actions the government has undertaken since 1990, the year of the return to multiparty politics.
Prime Minister Peter Mafany Musonge said in parliament that in order to win the fight against poverty, «the government must put everything into good management and decentralisation». Moreover, the State, which is determined to succeed in the plunge it has taken, also wants to strengthen its political reforms as a matter or urgency. This, with the intention of allowing true democracy to exist in which all Cameroonians can state their demands, act together and struggle for a more equitable distribution of power.
END
CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
PeaceLink 1999 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement