(Business in Cameroon) - In Cameroon, public administrations are being called to reduce consumption of water and power as well as office phone usage. This was indicated in a circular relating to the 2019 budget execution.

The document specified that “savings generated from lower consumptions may be transferred on a quarterly basis to administrations that would have made them, by including them as goods and services’ appropriations in the department budgets”.

Administrations may also benefit from a budgetary performance bonus for their optimal management, when an evaluation shows substantial budgetary savings on expenditures on water, electricity, postage, and telecommunications, compared with the initial provisions.

However, the document stipulated, any surplus in bills up from initial quota will be imputed on the appropriations for goods and services for the following financial year.

These bills’ reduction measures follow a decision from the Head of State Paul Biya, who in June 2017 directed “the establishment of telephone consumption quotas by administrations and managers”.

Phone spending, let’s note, are uncontrolled and generally weigh on public finances. In September 2016, the incumbent telecom operator, Camtel, demanded an estimated XAF65 billion in telephone arrears from the entire Cameroonian public administration and state companies.  Meanwhile, money owed to Eneo, the power utility, amounted to a total of XAF34 billion.

S.A