Decentralization: Nearly 132 Billion FCFA For CTD

This is the cumulative amount of support from the Special Fund for Inter-communal Equipment and Intervention (Feicom) to municipalities and communities over the past seven years. The numbers speak for themselves. Over the period between January 2011 and March 2018, Feicom has injected FCFA 131, 605 billion into the financing of decentralized territorial collectivities (CTD).

These funds have made it possible to carry out 1,736 projects in 366 communes and urban communities in Cameroon. According to the sectoral distribution of these funds, the acquisition of machines arrogates the largest portion of this envelope. According to the updated statistics of the Bank of Cameroon communes, more than 80 billion FCFA have been granted to satisfy this need for construction equipment. That is 37% of the total amount of Feicom’s speeches during President Paul Biya’s final term.

Feicom also contributed to the education, training and research of communal agents up to 19 billion FCFA. With regard to the decentralized cooperation sector, the total amount of Feicom interventions totals CFAF 6.3 billion. This is the smallest envelope in the sector breakdown. And yet, nearly 42% of the projects funded by the organization headed by Camille Akoa, CEO of Feicom, enter the register of decentralized cooperation

This is the cumulative amount of support from the Special Fund for Inter-communal Equipment and Intervention (Feicom) to municipalities and communities over the past seven years.

The numbers speak for themselves. Over the period between January 2011 and March 2018, Feicom has injected FCFA 131, 605 billion into the financing of decentralized territorial collectivities (CTD). These funds have made it possible to carry out 1,736 projects in 366 communes and urban communities in Cameroon. According to the sectoral distribution of these funds, the acquisition of machines arrogates the largest portion of this envelope. According to the updated statistics of the Bank of Cameroon communes, more than 80 billion FCFA have been granted to satisfy this need for construction equipment. That is 37% of the total amount of Feicom’s speeches during President Paul Biya’s final term.

Feicom also contributed to the education, training and research of communal agents up to 19 billion FCFA. With regard to the decentralized cooperation sector, the total amount of Feicom interventions totals CFAF 6.3 billion. This is the smallest envelope in the sector breakdown. And yet, nearly 42% of the projects funded by the organization headed by Camille Akoa, CEO of Feicom, enter the register of decentralized cooperation.

CFAF 12.5 billion for urban communities

According to the typology of the municipalities, the data of the Féicom indicate that, during the reference period, 12,5 billion FCFA were allocated to the Urban Communities. This amount represents “10% of the overall cost of funding granted,” says a Feicom executive. In the same way, the borough communes benefited from financing amounting to 20 billion FCFA. That is 15% of the total volume of funds allocated. The amount invested in the other communes amounts to 100 billion CFA francs, in a rate of 75%.

An apolitical institution

The analysis of the Feicom reports also confirms the apolitical nature of this organism. By way of illustration, the North-West region benefited from CFAF 11 billion over the 2011-2018 period. Of this amount, CFAF 9 billion went to the coffers of the communes run by municipal magistrates from the region. Social Democratic Front, the main political force of the opposition in Cameroon. In general, 17% of the projects supported by Feicom were in favor of municipalities placed under the opposition sash. This category of commune has a relative weight of 16.6%. But “in some areas, the percentage of funding granted to municipalities headed by an executive of an opposition party, is sometimes greater than their weight,” says Camille Akoa. The case of the Northern Region is an example. While 27% of municipalities are in the colors of opposition, the latter cumulate 48% of the funding injected into this region by Feicom.

Emmanuel Ngota