Africa

10, February 2017

Bank of Central African States: New management takes command ⁰

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

25, January 2017

Finance Minister Alamine Ousmane chairs annual conference ⁰

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

11, January 2017

Nigeria: Oil and gas workers on strike over payment ⁰

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

7, January 2017

Cameroon arrest 700 agents from the Ministry of Finance ¹

700 agents from the Ministry of Finance have been arrested and charged for diverting from the state coffers the sum of 1 billion 300 million FCFA. CIR gathered that the 700 agents are members of a vast network operating within the ruling CPDM crime syndicate.

Several members of the gang have been detained at the Central prison in Kondengui. We gathered that those involved were employed in the salary and human resource department including the IT services. These officials were paid several times and on several occasions. They even received salaries and wages for deceased persons and even the death benefits of some families instead of the rightful beneficiaries. The network also provided fictitious payslips to non civil servants.

The fraudsters benefited from a wide network within the Ministry of Finance. Those in the IT department were in charge of erasing all data from the computers that could trace any money received. This is not the first time that such a network has been dismantled by the Ministry of Finance. Each time it is uncovered with a media announcement, the mafia always succeeds in reappearing again in the ministry of finance where agents are ranked among the richest men and women in Cameroon.

Culled from Cameroon Intelligence Report

23, December 2016

CEMAC leaders reject second devaluation of the common currency ²

The extraordinary summit of the CEMAC region has ended in Yaounde this Friday with 21 resolutions adopted to resolve the economic and financial crisis which has rocked the countries in the region.

Cameroon Concord News understands that the leaders also set up a committee to monitor the implementation of the 21 resolutions. Paul Biya and his counterparts gave a vehement “no” to the devaluation of the common currency.

The Heads of state opted for the austerity measures prescribed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which provides for drastic adjustments.

Some of the resolutions included the Implementation of an infrastructure policy to promote sustainable development for the benefit of the population,the commitment to community solidarity in the face of current and future economic and security shocks and above all, a monetary policy which involves freezing the ceilings of statutory advances of BEAC to the level set in 2014.

In his closing remarks, Mr Biya reminded his counterparts that “bilateral and multilateral partners should be given” flexibility”

By Kingsley Ebong

23, December 2016

Yaounde: CEMAC leaders discussing a second devaluation of the FCFA ⁰

Presidents Sassou Nguesso of Congo, Ali Bongo of Gabon, Faustin Touadera of the Central African Republic, Idriss Deby of Chad, and Theodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea are in Yaoundé. The leaders together with their Cameroonian counterpart, Paul Biya are holding an extraordinary summit of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) this Friday, December 23, 2016.

The topics on the agenda of this extraordinary summit have still not been revealed to the media. However, speculations are high that the leaders are discussing a second devaluation of the Franc CFA because of the financial crisis in the Central African Sub region.

Cameroon Concord News was reliably informed that this summit focusing on the ability of the CEMAC economy to cope with the current financial crisis. Finance ministers have revealed that CEMAC trade balance is in deficit and countries of the sub region are now facing a drastic decline in their reserves in terms of the French treasury operating account. So it is obvious that there is a risk of a second devaluation.

The leaders are also expected to examine the subject on the negotiations between CEMAC and the European Union for the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreements.

By Rita Akana

22, December 2016

Finance Minister in hot waters over a 24 billion FCFA payments made to a CPDM tycoon ⁰

The Minister of Finance has been accused of paralyzing public finance as many service providers are unable to reclaim their funds due to a fictitious financial slump within his department. Information has also filtered that Cameroon is broke and the state is no longer able to meet some of its commitments.

However,Cameroon Concord News gathered recently that the Minister of Finance, Alamine Ousmane Mey approved the payment of 24 billion FCFA to the billionaire Baba Danpullo who reportedly is a President Biya acolyte. The reasons for this payment have not yet been clarified and made public. But what we do know is that the payments to the CPDM tycoon, Baba Danpullo were made spontaneously while other invoices validated for payments to some economic operators and other service providers have been tripping for several months at the premises of the ministry.

The CPDM Francophone pattern of governance provides for payments to some people at the detriment of several others. The Minister had reportedly told some other businessmen and women that the war on Boko Haram had emptied state coffers but was quick to dish-out 24 billion CFA to Baba Danpullo. Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey comes from a family whose fortunes have been linked to the Biya administration for more than 40 years. His father was a close confidante of Biya under Ahidjo.

By Rita Akana

18, December 2016

Bamenda: Calm returns to markets after “hectic” week ⁰

Life is gradually returning to normalcy in Bamenda, North West Region after last week’s violent strike action. Taxis are busy transporting passengers while bike riders who were at the center of the strike have resumed work. Shops have been reopened and markets are all noisy once again.

Areas worst hit by the strike such as City Chemist, Hospital Round About and Mobile Nkwen, are all booming with activities. Bus conductors could be heard scrambling for customers who ply different destinations such as Bali, Nkwen, Mbengwi among others. In most joints in Bamenda, Security forces are stationed to preempt any uprising again. Policemen from the mobile intervention unit are perceived putting on their war shield, armed right at the level of their teeth.

At the Food market, traders are present but buyers are few, most are still scared to go out of their homes, talk less of going to a gathering like the market. The traders hold that most people bought their food and stored in homes while others are still to recover from the shock and damages.

But as the town of Bamenda is back to life, Babila John, a roadside trader at City Chemist says it is just temporal, he suspects the strike might be more intensive by January. Traders had said the fact that they are back in markets does not mean they have called off the strike, according to Unionists, the strike shall continue after the festive period.

Culled from Cameroun info.net

30, November 2016

Yaounde hosting African coffee symposium ⁰

Delegates from the 25 member states of the Inter-African Coffee Organization are meeting in Yaoundé in the fourth African Coffee Symposium. During the five-day conclave which opened on 29th November 2016, the delegates will exchange notes and share experiences on how the African coffee industry could emerge.

The symposium is holding under the theme, “Inclusive Value Chain Transformation in the African Coffee Industry”. In Cameroon, coffee is grown extensively with robusta coffee more prevalent in the coastal areas and arabica coffee widespread in the western highlands.

In September 2014, the Government of Cameroon validated and launched a new plan to revive the coffee sector, hoping to boost production and in that same year, Cameroon was ranked the 31st largest producer of coffee in the world. It is worth mentioning that coffee farming in Cameroon dates to 1884, during the German colonial era.

CRTV

26, November 2016

Destroying our Credit Unions is killing our Anglophone economy ⁰

The Cameroon Common Law Lawyers unanimously started the now popular Southern Cameroons strike action due to the coming into place and implementation of the OHADA Uniform Act. The lawyers may have been angered by the complete absence of the English version of the document. However, Cameroon Concord News is now aware that there is more to the OHADA than just its translation.

Our chief economic reporter revealed during our last editorial meeting that the OHADA Uniform Act is a Francophone teleguided policy to stifle the Anglophone economy and by extrapolation, the Anglophone identity. For those who do not know like Minister Atanga Nji Paul, the OHADA has destroyed the original co-operative law.

The CPDM government is now demanding that application forms for loans be stamped duty and tax. This implies that a minimum loan of 50000 FCFA will have a 14000 FCFA tax. This is not realistic. The VAT that the CPDM government is demanding from co-operative credit unions does not take into consideration the corporate law that distinguished category 1 micro-finance from categories 2 and 3.

The Co-operative law does not restrict the organization from having branch offices. With the new OHADA legal apparatus, credit unions are being persecuted for having branch offices throughout the national territory. So, any good thing that has its origin from Anglophone Cameroon is under threat from the Biya Francophone Beti-Ewondo government. British Southern Cameroons micro finance institutions cannot survive with this kind of judicial system.

The so-called tax laws do not exist in English. The OHADA uniform act on credit unions exists only in French. In a country where more than half of its micro finance and credit union establishments operate in the Anglophone zone, destroying our Credit Unions is tantamount to killing the Anglophone economy.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai