Positive Economic Perspectives

The effervescence being raised by the upcoming presidential poll on 7 October, 2018 is visible with the presence of incumbent President Paul Biya in Maroua, capital of the Far North Region on Saturday 29 September, 2018 giving an additional touch to the campaign fever. However, as Head of State, Mr Biya could not just focus on political campaign without letting the population have a taste of where the country is heading in the years ahead.

Thus, he not only looked at the past, present and future challenges, but equally pointed to the economic future of the region, in particular and the entire country in general. While recalling the hurdles that Cameroon faced as a result of the world economic meltdown in 2008 as well as the local setbacks caused by Boko Haram extremists, the Head of State appreciated the positive turn that the economy is witnessing and could continue to expect in the days and years ahead if nothing worse occurs again.

In any case, the Far North in particular, needed the usual vigilance demonstrated against Boko Haram to continue benefitting from the bounty that nature and environment had bestowed on them such as the rich subsoil and tourist attractions. “We have been through many ordeals to get where we are. Most of them were imposed on us by the global environment: the 2008 crisis, the drop in oil and commodity prices, especially,” President Paul Biya told the cheering crowd in Maroua.

Since 2014 when the Boko Haram sect imposed a halt on activities in the Far North Region and the negative twist that the economy in the entire Central African Sub-region, CEMAC witnessed in 2016, Cameroon kept a sense of resilience that was compared to none within the same economic environment. Such prospects could only go to demonstrate the sense of purpose and resolve that Cameroonians alone could best understand.

Banking on such progress, the Head of State has remained hopeful that the future of the country cannot in anyway be bleak, given that even when violence, war and other forms of destabilisation do strike, Cameroon has often remained reassuring with several natural and human resources to tap from and build a stronger nation. That must be why the Head of State told the population of Maroua that; “I should also mention your vast expanses of land suitable for livestock, milk and meat production, as well as cereal cultivation.

These various items bear great development potential.” This is to say that if the people have to think of picking up the pieces from the ashes of destruction suffered under the foreign extremist sect, they may not need to look far. Their natural environment and the resources at their disposal are enough to make them smile again. He noted that; “Once peace is consolidated everywhere, tourism in your region will also need to be given a second chance. Our parks and reserves have not lost an iota of their attractiveness.”

The entire northern parts of Cameroon have been an Eldorado for tourism, but the instability caused by war did not permit any blossoming of such activities. With the joint efforts of the local population, the national defence forces and the Multinational Joint Task Force, Cameroon is today witnessing a rebirth of economic, social and cultural activities in the Far North. The situation can only bring along good tidings for the local economy, thereby distancing the area from hunger and other setbacks to progress.

It was therefore a message of hope and assurance that the Head of State took to the population of the Far North Region and the entire country also had reasons to hope the the feel-good effects of Maroua could spread nationwide. “Now that the enemy has been repelled beyond our borders, we have to reconstruct, facilitate the return of displaced persons and do all in our power to recreate conditions for normal administrative, academic, economic and social life.”

Positive Economic Perspectives Richard KWANG KOMETA Fidèle à ses engagements en direction des seigneurs de la terre, et sensible qu’il est à la situation particulière du septentrion, le chef de l’Etat S.E Paul BIYA vient une fois de plus de manifester sa sollicitude aux acteurs de la filière coton. A travers le ministre de l’Agriculture et du Développement rural (MINADER) Henri Eyebe Ayissi, près de 200.000 cotonculteurs, réunis à travers la Confédération nationale des producteurs de Coton du Cameroun (CNPC-C) ont reçu jeudi dernier à Garoua, un appui de 2.200 tonnes d’engrais, pour améliorer leur productivité.

Un don présidentiel d’un coût de 1, 3 milliards de Fcfa, qui intervient dans le cadre du plan d’urgence triennal (PLANUT), et qui vient s’ajouter à de nombreuses autres actions instruites par le chef de l’Etat afin de faciliter le redressement de la filière. Entre autres : - L’acquisition de 56 tracteurs en faveur des producteurs pour booster la production - La mise en place d’un Fonds de roulement engrais pour près de 3 milliards de Fcfa -

L’appui du gouvernement à la mécanisation de la filière - Le déblocage de près de 40 milliards de Fcfa pour supporter le plan de redressement de la Sodecoton et sauver la filière coton - La subvention du prix d’achat du coton graine aux producteurs pour améliorer leur pouvoir d’achat - L’allocation d’un financement de 240 millions de Fcfa pour la construction d’un si&e...