CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
by François X. Eya, Cameroon, January 2000
THEME = EDUCATION
When the Education Minister, Charles Etoundi, took the step of entrusting an estimated seven billion CFA market to a local publisher, he probably had no idea of the hornet's nest he was stirring up. The company in question, CEPER, had indeed requested and obtained "exclusive rights for publishing, printing and distributing primary and nursery school books". The contract was signed on 17 March 1998, but only became public in September 1999. In fact, the Government undertook to turn over the publishing of all primary and nursery level schoolbooks to CEPER, completely leaving aside other publishing houses, both foreign and national.
Main signatories to the agreement were CEPER's owners, MUPEC (an association of Cameroon teachers, of which the Education Minister is a member), the Cameroonian Government and the Francophonie (the organisation of French-speaking countries) development agency. This particular agency is an inter-governmental organisation for: "Initiating in countries of the southern hemisphere, local possibilities for providing school material and in these same countries, supporting the development of small cultural businesses".
Local publishing houses, especially the English-speaking ones (Cameroon has both English-speaking and French speaking com- munities) protested the minister's decision. After many meetings, they sent a blistering report to the Education Minister, to the Ministry of Culture, to the Minister of Economy and Finance with copies to the Prime Minister's office, diplomatic representatives and international organisations. French-language publishing houses were not far behind.
They were especially upset about the fact that CEPER had been given exclusive publishing and distribution rights by Minister Charles Etoundi, who has a vested interest in MUPEC (he is the company's vice-president) which has bought out CEPER.
Other criticisms targeted the Minister. In particular, they reproached him with failing to submit the contract out to tender, which would have allowed local publishers to compete in a healthy competitive spirit. At the same time, the publishers are doubtful if CEPER can in fact "deliver the goods" in Cameroon. CEPER is a recently-established business and hasn't got either the material or the personnel to do the job by itself.
Others fear that the sudden renewal of all schoolbooks will make books expensive and in short supply. This won't make teaching any the easier. Local bookshop owners which mostly sell schoolbooks are also concerned, because CEPER sells its products directly to schools through the school headteachers.
The report also offered some suggestions to the Government. The Government must keep in mind that local publishers exist on a shoestring, and asks if it would be possible for national and foreign publishers to go into partnership when it comes to publishing schoolbooks. The report also suggests that the State should do its best to encourage local publishers, by creating conditions such that local businesses can thrive. The Government must likewise lay down official prices for the books and indicate what kind of profit margin can be marked up.
French publishers are among the most dissatisfied foreign publishers; their spokesperson, Michel Aurillac, came to Cameroon last year, to lobby their case.
CEPER didn't take long to launch a counter-attack. Its director, Mr. Joseph Bayila, took the opportunity to warn Member of Parliament Peter Mafany Musonge of what the French publishers, through their spokesperson, were up to: "In every country", he said, "nursery and primary education pertains to the State, because these are the very foundations of education. Just to mention two African countries, Côte d'Ivoire and Tunisia - authors and publishers from these countries, keep the exclusivity of producing schoolbooks at nursery and primary level in their own hands". He also drew the Member of Parliament's attention to the fact that when schoolbooks are produced outside the country and have to be bought from foreign companies, then the nation's reserves of foreign currency have to be used to buy these books.
Meeting the press, CEPER's director had more to say about his local and foreign colleagues in the schoolbook publishing business. "Can you cite one example of what these people have done for our country", he asked? He pointed out: "For years, they've benefited from help coming from the World Bank, from French Cooperation and from the Francophonie agency for development. Can you show me one concrete achievement on the national level? Can you tell me where the director of the publisher "Clé" comes from and I'll tell you if this publisher is really working for Cameroon's interests. How many people does the publisher "Edific" employ in Cameroon and I'll tell you what this French publisher brings to Cameroon's economy."
Some people are asking themselves if Cameroon is'nt really going against all principles of market economy. Other, however, see it rather like a revolution, in the sense that Cameroon has just risen up against neo-colonial interests.
END
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