5, December 2018

World Bank says in Cameroon, Ministries Suffer from Lack of Financial Resources ⁰

In its recent report on Cameroon’s public expenditure management, the World Bank revealed that the institutional mechanisms to implement the program-budget approach launched in 2013 is still far from achieving expected results.

According to the report, since 2013, the Parliament has approved each year a program-centered 3-year budget for all departments. Each department develops its own programs (about 3) and sets objectives and indicators (two to three per program). However, World Bank said, most indicators are not suitable or operational.

Moreover, the reporting chains are not transparent and reliable enough to inform the program manager in due time and allow him to adjust implementation. In some cases, the programs and activities do meet the ministries’ missions.

Finally, the Bretton Woods institution notes that the funds allocated to the ministries’ program budgets are incomplete. For example, salary management remains centralized within the program of the finance ministry.

However, an Integrated System for the Management of the Personnel and Payroll (Sigipes II) has been developed to improve the management and transparency of payroll costs. However, its deployment in line with ministries has not yet occurred due to a lack of financial resources.