(Business in Cameroon) - At the end of the 24^th session of the National Road Council (Conaroute) held on January 19 in Yaounde, Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute (photo) instructed all the project managers in charge of road construction projects to systematically budget network relocation services, in collaboration with the concessionaire of the networks.  

In that regard, "the Prime Minister asked the Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Development to coordinate, in collaboration with the involved administrations and concessionaires, the update of water, electricity and telecommunication networks," the minute informs.

The directives were issued because the officials noticed that network relocation has, most of the time, negative impacts on road construction projects in the country by causing delivery delays.

Following that observation, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications (Minspostel) -Minette Libom Li Likeng- recommended the establishment of a common platform for information sharing and consultation to adequately plan the works carried out by project managers and include telecommunication networks relocation expenses into the budget of planned road projects.  

Speaking after the Minpostel, the Minister of Water and Energy Gaston Eloundou Essomba stressed the need for public administrations in charge of road projects to transmit their programs to the concessionaires at the beginning of every fiscal year.

The Minister of Public Works Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi also suggested that to streamline the various projects on the road network, there should be ongoing consultations between the various players involved. He also indicated that networks should be moved by concessionaires and the existing networks updated. The official explained that a tool has already been developed to prevent interference between the existing networks and the works to be carried out. The tool is the "Guide de maturation technique des Projets et Les directives d’orientation technique et méthodologique pour la construction routière au Cameroun"  (Guide for the technical maturation of Projects and guidelines for technical and methodological orientation of road construction in Cameroon).

In its minute, Conaroute indicates that the objective of all these government proposals is to avoid delays caused by network displacement problems during road construction projects and also avoid the degradation of the networks.  

S.A.