By Chris Mbunwe
Northwest Parliamentarians, Fons and contractors have urged the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Louis Paul Motaze, to end the 30 percent bribe in contract awards.
NW Urban Development Delegate, Asongwed explaining to Minister Motaze the tarring of Up Station, GRA Road
They made the plea February 25, during a one-day visit by Minister Motaze to the Northwest Region. At a working session following the visit, local administrators were identified as promoters of 30 percent cuts in every contract awarded. "This corrupt attitude leaves contractors with less money to realize projects, hence poor execution of public investment projects in the Northwest and elsewhere in the country," the elite complained.
The President of the Regional Follow-Up Committee for the Northwest, Hon. Cyprian Awudu Mbaya, proposed that, for payment procedures to be facilitated so as to encourage contractors, "30 percent at all stages of contract awards and payment procedures be discouraged."
Hon. Mbaya noted that fiscal realisation of public investment projects in the Northwest for 2008 hit 98.7 percent, against 96 percent in 2007. He promised that they will to hit 100 percent in 2009. However, the MP said, uncompleted projects and poorly executed jobs are now a thing of the past in the Northwest Region.
He also requested the Minister to, as a matter of urgency, transmit to President Paul Biya the cry of the Northwest people concerning the creation of a State University this year and the tarring of the Ring Road.
Fons and MPs, on their part, expressed worry that, 80 percent of contracts are awarded from Yaounde. Hon. Esther Ngala, MP for Ndu Subdivision, said contractors who are flown in from Yaounde poorly execute contracts and exhibit a lot of arrogance.
Responding to a worry why Northwest's share in this year's investment budget was small, a Director in the Ministry of Economy and Planning, Paul Tazong, said, from 2006 to 2009, the Northwest share of the budget tripled from FCFA 2 billion to FCFA 6.6 billion.
He said that government is making efforts to equitably distribute the national budget. On a question on the tarring of the Ring Road, Tazong said it was too political and complicated.
Meanwhile, the Minister said he is visiting the ten Regions of Cameroon to promote active participation of all the components of society in the follow-up of the execution of public investments.
"It is for this reason that the lists of all projects to be realized in the various localities of the country are largely broadcasted within Public and private press organs at the beginning of each budgetary year. The objective is to inform the beneficiary population of the projects financed by the public investment budget in a bid to subscribe the collaboration of everybody to participatory follow-up," Motaze remarked.
In view of promoting efficient social control, Minister Motaze said, a more active involvement of all social stakeholders in participatory monitoring is indispensable.
Going by him, government intends to ensure effective and quality realization of projects and programmes, improve the quality of public spending and appreciate its impact on development.
Visits to Up Station- GRA - Mile II Nkwen road under construction and Alakuma Government Technical College crowned the Minister's visit.
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