Road Construction: Government Strategizes On Cost Reduction

“The Cameroonian road network that needs to be developed or constructed covers 123,294 kilometres, i.e. 9,370 km of national roads, 13,924 km of regional roads and 100,000 km of council roads. “ The Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi made the revelation in his statement on “Strategy to reduce road construction cost” presented during the cabinet meeting on May 23, 2019. Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute chaired the cabinet meeting at the Star Building in Yaounde.

The Minister specified that 4,535 km of national roads are paved representing 48 per cent of the network concerned; 982 km of regional roads are paved being seven per cent of the regional road network; and finally that 1,562 km of council roads are paved representing two per cent of the network of more than 98,000 km of council roads are earth roads. He presented factors determining the cost of road project construction works, background of road work costs. Concerning strategies to reduce the cost of road infrastructure construction, Mr Nganou Djoumessi cited a litany of aspects.

He talked of resizing of the roads to reduce the costs of earthworks and pavements, refining public procurement with rigorous technical studies in compliance with regulatory requirements for the ma turation of investment projects. He also talked of capitalising feedback with a systematisation of technical and financial audits, promotion of public-private partnerships in order to relieve public funds in risk sharing with private partners, promotion of categorisation and specialisation in road construction, influencing the costs of inputs (bitumen, cement, iron and aggregates) and the mastering of taxation on road construction.

Minister Nganou Djoumessi, recommended the establishment of an inclusive road industry, with the promotion of a few national champions, upgrading of categorised and specialised Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and ...