Bus Saviem: it is the kind of vehicle that you encounter on the Bertoua-Batouri road. Drivers will tell you that this bus can easily adapt to the almost unusable state of the road.  

The road Bertoua - Batouri – Kenzou (Cameroon) – Republic of Central Africa border, 215 km long, will link Bertoua, the regional capital of the East and Kenzou, a border town within the Republic of Central Africa. The project consists of three lots: Bertoua-Akokan (46.3 km) Akokan-Batouri (49.1 km) and Batouri - Kenzou RCA-border (120 km).
It will open up Kadey, Lom and Djerem divisions in the East region, thereby linking the region to the rest of the country and facilitating the movement of goods and persons. This region has a high agricultural potential. This road would also increase trade with Equatorial Guinea.

The project cost is estimated at 70 billion CFA francs (€ 110 million). Technical studies of the first to lots are available at the Ministry of Public Works, but funding is still being sought. The estimated duration for completion is 72 month according to the studies available.

MC

“I see an advantage in studying the possibility of developing biofuels from certain agricultural waste in Cameroon, as it is done with success in some African countries apparently,” President Paul Biya said on December 31, 2007 in his traditional end of year message to the Cameroonian people. Since 2007, Cameroon is yet to identify crops and the appropriate site to be used.

At the Ministry of Water and Energy, the Biofuel Development Project is still in its early stage.

It would take a budget ranging between CFAF 50 and 60 billion (€ 91 million) to research on the biofuel potential of Cameroon, according to Jacques Noutang Betchem, Senior Research Assistant at the Studies and Forecasting Unit  of the Ministry of Energy and the Water. “The government has already taken the first studies that simply need to be validated. Based on these studies, investors can inquire about investment opportunities in the biofuel sector in Cameroon,” he says.

“Currently, the government is calling on investors to support the completion of this project,” notes Jacques Noutang Betchem.

B-O.D/J.V

In Cameroon, one company is responsible for the distribution of energy throughout the nation. This is the American group AES-Sonel, operating in Cameron since 2001. Its monopoly in the distribution of energy lasted for over 10 years, until the law of 2011 on electric power ended the AES-Sonel monopoly in this sector. But at the moment, AES-Sonel is the sole distributor of power in Cameroon. Its distribution network consists of 11,450 km line from 5.5 to 33 KV and 11,158 km of lines 220 to 380 KV. AES-Sonel as of now accounts more than 780,000 customers with about 45% in the cities of Douala and Yaoundé.

Under the new law governing the electricity sector, “a management concession on the distribution network has been reached between the State and management of the distribution Company”. It defines the rights and obligations of managers of the distribution networks. Article 28 of this law states that “managers of the distribution networks are subject to specific obligations imposed on them in line of the public service requirements, including the supply of electricity to any legal entity established in the territory of their concession, according to the conditions laid down in their contract.”

Huge perspectives
Long before this law, however, the President had, on October 10, 2010, created Hydro Mekin, a State company. It will be responsible for “ensuring the production, and possibly the transmission, distribution, sale, export and import of electrical energy.”
But all this is still insufficient said Jacques Noutang Betchem, Senior Research Assistant at the studies and forecasting service in the Ministry of Water and Energy. “The distribution of electricity is a very important component for access to energy. Because even if all plants are built and there are no power lines, people will not have access to electricity. Much remains to be done in this area, as currently, the distribution is limited to the major cities”, he said. According to him, “the prospects are even greater than expected as stipulated in the law of 2011 on the creation of the distribution Company.”

Beaugas-Orain Djoyum and Jude Viban

In the rural electrification project, Cameroon intends to build hydropower plants in 25 localities thereby empowering people in villages who, because of lack of electricity, have no access to modern energy services such as lighting, audiovisual and quality health care The Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development believes that this project will contribute to the improvement of decentralized management and support private initiatives. Within the project, there is also training for the local population to maintain the project and the creation of small businesses related to hydroelectric energy technology.

Technical studies are already available at the Ministry of Water and Energy. The total project cost is estimated at CFAF 13.3 billion (€ 20 million). The Cameroon government intends to give incentives to potential investors such as tax and customs duty exoneration on equipment required for its implementation.

JV

In Cameroon, the Sanaga River is the largest river with a catchment area of 14,000 km². It is on this river that the hydroelectric dam of Dong Song with a capacity of 280 MW is being earmarked.

According to Ernest Nnanga, an engineer and senior statistician at the agency in charge of giant projects in the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, the objective of the project is to boost electrical energy and reduce its cost at the level of households and industries.

This is a project that will receive an additional supply of water from the Lom Pangar reservoir (the foundation stone was laid in August) as Dong Song is downstream of Lom Pangar which has a 6 billion m3 storage capacity of water. With its drop in height from 24 m, it is expected, according to Electricity Development Corporation (EDC), that Dong Song will have an additional 274 GW/h because of the water from Lom Pangar.

The project is estimated at CFAF 184.2 billion (€ 280 million). The funding is not yet available. Technical Studies are still in progress, but the duration of the project is estimated at 96 months.

JV

In Cameroon, one company is responsible for the distribution of energy throughout the nation. This is the American group AES-Sonel, operating in Cameron since 2001. Its monopoly in the distribution of energy lasted for over 10 years, until the law of 2011 on electric power ended the AES-Sonel monopoly in this sector. But at the moment, AES-Sonel is the sole distributor of power in Cameroon. Its distribution network consists of 11,450 km line from 5.5 to 33 KV and 11,158 km of lines 220 to 380 KV. AES-Sonel as of now accounts more than 780,000 customers with about 45% in the cities of Douala and Yaoundé.

Under the new law governing the electricity sector, “a management concession on the distribution network has been reached between the State and management of the distribution Company”. It defines the rights and obligations of managers of the distribution networks. Article 28 of this law states that “managers of the distribution networks are subject to specific obligations imposed on them in line of the public service requirements, including the supply of electricity to any legal entity established in the territory of their concession, according to the conditions laid down in their contract.”

Huge perspectives
Long before this law, however, the President had, on October 10, 2010, created Hydro Mekin, a State company. It will be responsible for “ensuring the production, and possibly the transmission, distribution, sale, export and import of electrical energy.”

But all this is still insufficient said Jacques Noutang Betchem, Senior Research Assistant at the studies and forecasting service in the Ministry of Water and Energy. “The distribution of electricity is a very important component for access to energy. Because even if all plants are built and there are no power lines, people will not have access to electricity. Much remains to be done in this area, as currently, the distribution is limited to the major cities”, he said. According to him, “the prospects are even greater than expected as stipulated in the law of 2011 on the creation of the distribution Company.”

Beaugas-Orain Djoyum and Jude Viban

This is one of the most important projects in the Ministry of Water and Energy (MINEE) intended to improve energy supply in Cameroon. The proposed hydroelectric dam on the Bini and Warack rivers in the Adamawa region is part of the 2012 ministerial roadmap. This year, the government plans to “finalize supplementary studies and to start considering developers for this project”, the roadmap states. The budget for this work is included in this year’s MINEE budget. Geotechnical and hydrological studies are due to be completed in November 2012. A partial report on the studies is already available. Feasibility studies were contracted to a U.S. firm, Delphos International Ltd since 2009.

Financial partners
Hydroelectric development in the Bini Warack involves the construction of a hydroelectric dam with a capacity of 75 MW and an energy distribution line. As of now the project is estimated at € 130 million (CFAF 85 billion) including the distribution line. According to the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, financial partners for the execution of this project are still being sought.

Export to Chad, Nigeria
According to the Director General of the Electricity Development Corporation, Theodore Nsangou, whose corporation is working on this project with the Ministry of Water and Energy, the dam will prevent energy deficit in northern Cameroon. MINEE said, the project will strengthen the Northern Interconnected Grid (RIN) and allow the export of electricity from Cameroon to Chad and Nigeria.

BOD, J.V.

The construction of this dam will strengthen the south interconnected network i.e. le Réseau Interconnecté Sud, RIS, increase access to electricity for the local population and ensure the development of all sectors of the economy. The Njock hydroelectric dam project is located near Eséka in the Centre Region. The 75 km Nyong river, flows from an altitude of 620 m to 150 m.

Nyong basin
By its size (27,900 km2), the Nyong basin is the second-largest river basin in Cameroon, after that of Sanaga (140,000 km2). Studies by the Research Institute for Development (IRD) shows that the Nyong has its source near Abong-Mbang at an altitude of about 700 m. The river passes through a series of rapid falls, the most important of which are those of Mpoume near Makak and Njock near Eseka. The total length of its course is 670 km while the longest of its basins is 400 km. The Njock hydroelectric project on river Nyong covers six regions: Centre, South, Littoral, West, Southwest and Northwest.

 € 270 million (CFAF 180 billion)
The dam is estimated to generate 200 MW of power. According to the Ministry of Planning, technical studies are in progress and funding is being sought. Cameroon needs to mobilize CFAF 180 billion to achieve the culmination of this project. According to the studies already available, the project can be completed in 48 months.

Ayissi Le Beau

On 19 June 2012, the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, signed a circular stating the terms and conditions of government procurement contract awards, control and delivery. The circular, which represents a reform, according to Paul Biya, seeks to step up transparency in the sector, reduce the government procurement timeframe, and ensure more efficient control and the quality of works undertaken by the State and its components.

The circular draws attention to several reforms. Emphasis is placed on the powers of the Ministry in charge of Government Procurement, which becomes a crucial player in the system. The award of contracts over the counter which was so far been under the responsibility of the Prime Minister, is henceforth entrusted to the Ministry in charge of Government Procurement. This procedure should be exceptional. « It is possible only in one of the limiting cases stipulated in the government procurement code. In this exclusive context, the Minister in charge of Government Procurement may award the contract over the counter, notably those within the powers of the central commissions», the circular explained. This Ministry should ensure that all projects concerning roads, buildings, community facilities and other infrastructure are preceded by geotechnical studies.

Control
The Ministry in charge of Government Procurement, in collaboration with beneficiary administrations, have full powers to control and monitor government contracts. According to this circular, «the ministry in charge of Government Procurement is competent to control the execution of public contracts being performed or already launched, whether they relate to supplies, studies, audits, full or partial contracting authority over roads, buildings or community facilities and other developmental projects, as stipulated in the above-mentioned provisions». The transmission by the contractor, of documents for the payment of services provided will be subject to the prior approval of the Minister in charge of Government Procurement who will give his opinion within three days. The same ministry will, in collaboration with its competent services, undertake unannounced on-site checks of contracts underway to ensure compliance with contract terms and follow-up checks to analyse the behaviour of the completed works.

Letters-orders
The circular also lays special emphasis on the contracting deadline «The government procurement commission has a maximum of 21 days, with effect from the tender opening date, to make its proposed award, including the period granted to the sub-commission to analyse the tenders », the president further stated. The period set for the analysis of technical and financial bids is 7 days maximum. All tenders will be opened at the same time.

The period is10 days if they are opened at two different times, regardless of the importance and type of project, object of the consultation. In case of an emergency procedure, the period is reduced to 5 days, the presidential text further pointed out.
Another innovation relates to the raising of the letter-order ceiling from 5 million to 50 million CfaF. The DG and heads of government departments therefore need to be given a broader field of action. Paul Biya's explanations: Raising the letter-order ceiling to 50 million CfaF is meant to avoid the congestion of the Ministry in charge of Government Procurement, likely to cause slowness and inefficiency in the implementation of identified projects, on the one hand, and on the other hand, avoid the interruption of day-to-day or routine activities of ministries, for which ministers should be able to resort to purchase orders or letter-orders».

According to Paul Biya, the public procurement regulation agency (ARMP) is the supervisor and facilitator of the public procurement system.

B-O.D.

The Minister in charge of the Superior State Audit (MINCONSUPE) intends to set up a consultation platform to improve the efficiency of the national prevention system and identify and punish the embezzlement of public funds.

For this reason, Minister Henri Eyebe Ayissi, appointed during the 9 December 2011 reshuffle, initiated a series of discussions with various national partners involved in the implementation of the national strategy to fight against corruption and extortion of public fortune. The delegations received by the Minister on Wednesday 25 January at the MINCONSUPE office, include the National Anti-Corruption Commission (CONAC), under the supervision of its Chairman,  Reverend Dr. Dieudonné Massi Gams; the National Governance Programme  (PNG), led by its coordinator, Pr. Dieudonné Oyono; the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), under the supervision of Hubert Ndé Sambone, its Director General and the Chamber of Accounts of the Supreme Court, under the guidance of its President, Marc Ateba Ombala.

Most of the managers of these structures who undertake complementary actions in the fight against corruption and the embezzlement of public funds, have expressed their interest in the implementation of collaboration mechanisms for the launching of special audit missions, as well as warning and safeguard systems, likely to reduce, or even neutralize the negative impact of actions taken or financial operations initiated to the detriment of the State. It entails waging a joint crusade against corruption, a real social evil which annihilates the socioeconomic development to which the country aspires.

According to the NGO Transparency International, since 1998 Cameroon’s ranking in the classification of most corrupt Nations of the world has not yet improved. Concerning the embezzlement of public funds, the results obtained since 2006, are not yet tangible, despite the arrests and conviction of top personalities (ministers, managing directors of Government-owned businesses, etc.) in connection with the public morality operation dubbed  «hawk».

GCM