Fellow Cameroonians,
My dear compatriots,
 |
| President Paul Biya |
It was our hope, following a period of
intensive political activity, that as 2014 was not an election year, we
would be free to devote ourselves primarily to reviving our economic
growth which, as you are aware, is a prerequisite for improving the
living conditions of our populations.
Such was not exactly the case owing to
the escalation of attacks against our national territory by the Boko
Haram sect. Besides this, there were the criminal activities of armed
gangs on our border with the Central African Republic.
Initially, the Boko Haram terrorist
organization carried out raids to seize isolated hostages or loot public
or private property.
Buoyed by their grip on north-eastern
Nigeria, the so-called “jihadists” launched major attacks on the
Far-North Region of our country, for instance, the attack on the
workers’ camp of a Chinese company at Waza and the raid on Kolofata,
resulting in several deaths and the abduction of many hostages.
This could not be tolerated. We
therefore set up a response and prevention mechanism which quickly
proved its worth. Since then, Boko Haram has suffered heavy human and
material losses in each of its attacks. It is hoped that they would
learn their lesson.
At this juncture, I would like to pay
glowing tribute to our defence forces whose valour has been demonstrated
in recent fighting.
I have had occasion to say that the Nation as a whole ought to mobilize and rally behind its defence forces.
Such seems to be the case by all
accounts from our regions. I have most particularly appreciated the
stance of our Muslim compatriots. They, like all the other Cameroonians,
have clearly understood that this war is by no means based on religion.
They have clearly understood that it is a response to external
aggression by a terrorist organization that does not subscribe to the
values of a fraternal society.
My dear compatriots,
The growing threats on our borders have
prompted us to take measures to safeguard against their effects on our
internal security. Such is the purport of the law on the suppression of
terrorism which Parliament recently passed by a large majority. It is
far from serving as a pretext for restricting civil liberties, as
claimed by some ill-intentioned people. Besides, the instrument is very
clear on this point.
Furthermore, faced with an upsurge in
terrorist activities, most leading democratic countries have in recent
years passed new laws to prevent terrorism. By so doing, they have
complied with the recommendations of international organizations,
particularly the United Nations and the African Union. Such is what we
deemed appropriate to do. Therefore, our objective is to safeguard
against any terrorist-related risk as far as possible. Every State not
only has the right, but also the duty to protect its citizens. I am
convinced that the vast majority of our compatriots do understand.
I would also like to recall here that
Cameroon is not the only country facing this threat which knows no
boundaries. Some of our neighbouring countries, namely Benin, Chad,
Niger and Nigeria, are collaborating with us to form a united front
against Boko Haram.
The United Nations Organization and
several big powers, particularly the United States of America, Germany,
France, Russia and China, also back us. I will be revisiting this issue
before long.
It goes without saying that mobilizing
the required resources for our defence means additional spending. As you
are aware, the situation in the Central African Republic also warrants
our vigilance on our eastern border. We are forced to host tens of
thousands of refugees from this brotherly country. I take this
opportunity to commend the valuable assistance we are receiving from
humanitarian organizations. It is clear that our duty-bound solidarity
has an impact on the budget. But, we must also understand that security
has a price.
My dear compatriots,
As I said at the onset, we were obliged
to prioritize the defence of the national territory, for, there can be
no peace without security and no development without peace. Nonetheless,
we have not relented in our efforts to revive growth. Now that our
democratic institutions are fully functional, growth is the focus of our
policy. As I stated earlier on, our growth is a prerequisite for a
strong economy and, hence, our capacity to roll back poverty and
progress towards emergence.
A quick evaluation of our economic
programme shows that our first-generation major projects are either
completed, nearing completion, or on track. Such is the case, in
particular, for the Kribi Gas-fired Plant and Port, dams and
hydroelectric power plants, as well as some road and various
infrastructure projects.
Thanks to these projects, there is
renewed activity in various sectors of our economy. The impact on
employment and the improvement of living conditions is also visible. The
year 2015 should therefore be characterized by the launching of
second-generation projects in the energy, water, road and highway and
transport sectors.
My dear compatriots,
Most of the major undertakings announced in my address on 31 December 2013 have been fulfilled.
1.We celebrated the FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY
OF CAMEROON’S REUNIFICATION last February in Buea with all the
necessary pomp and solemnity. The town of Buea, which has been provided
with various infrastructure, has been completely transformed. The impact
of this celebration was also felt in neighbouring towns. This key
moment of national unity is a milestone in our history.
2.I also promised substantial
improvements in the health domain. These are now realities. Malaria
treatment for children aged below five is now free. Our health map now
comprises three new referral hospitals: the Yaounde National Emergency
Centre, the Douala Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Paediatric Hospital and
the Sangmelima Referral Hospital.
3.The employment spin-offs of our growth
policy which I referred to a while ago have been confirmed. In 2014,
283 443 new jobs were created against 250 000 projected, as you would
recall.
4.You would also recall that I
underscored the need for Cameroon to have a viable emergency plan for
the coming years. This announcement as well has been translated into
reality. The said plan was adopted and launched during the Council of
Ministers meeting held on 9 December. I will come back to this later.
My dear compatriots,
Should we be content with these results
which can objectively be considered positive? Substantial progress has
been achieved as confirmed by the recent triennial appraisal report on
the implementation of the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper. That
being the case, I will simply say that we can and should do even better.
I am convinced, as I pointed out last year under the same
circumstances, that we must increase our growth rate at all costs. Are
we sure we have done all we can?
Take the case of investment for
instance, which has so far been largely initiated by the State and
reserved especially for anchor and social projects. Public Investment
Budget allocations have increased considerably in recent years. In 2014,
they represented about one-third of the overall budget, or
approximately CFAF 1 000 (one thousand) billion. This is commendable.
However, in terms of execution, there are hurdles and project
implementation is often slowed down. I decried such under-utilization of
budgetary appropriations. As you know, our needs are obvious and
urgent. I am pleased to note that this year, there has been a marked
improvement in contract execution rates which should increasingly match
commitment rates.
Although in 2013 the public authorities,
through Parliament, adopted major incentives for private investment,
the latter still seems unable to take over from the State.
However, there seems to be progress in
this direction among local and foreign entrepreneurs thanks largely to
awareness-raising campaigns by investment promotion bodies. This is
proven by the recent signing of 13 agreements in the Ministry of
Industry, worth CFAF 180 billion.
I want to believe this is just the
beginning. We do need an ambitious industrial policy. There can be no
great country without industry. Even agriculture, which I love to say is
the principal source of our wealth, is also expected to go
“industrial”.
It is understandable that the
implementation of our major iron and bauxite mining projects, whose
ultimate goal also is industrialization, is dragging as such projects
are complex. Conversely, there is no plausible reason for our slowness
in developing industries to process our agricultural commodities.
Besides the benefits we could derive in
terms of value added and employment, local processing will contribute
towards rebalancing our foreign trade which is showing a structural
deficit.
In fact, our trade balance is
characterized by a significant import surplus against exports which
largely depend on the sale of three or four commodities whose prices are
unstable. Our imports, for their part, mostly concern manufactured
products, notably capital goods for our major projects. Obviously, it is
difficult for us to restrict our purchase of capital goods. That, we
understand. On the other hand, we should be able to limit the
importation of the commodities we are able to produce.
These remarks which I am compelled to
make once more reflect the difficulty we are facing moving from a
State-dominated economy to a more liberal system which is now the rule.
The situation is such that sometimes we suffer the disadvantages of both
systems. This, to me, explains the resistance to structural reforms
which is stifling our growth revival efforts.
Some of these reforms concern our
governance, particularly public finance. Significant progress has been
made in this area and needs to be consolidated by ensuring budget
sustainability, reducing subsidies as much as possible and reviewing the
tax base. On the whole, our administration would stand to benefit by
streamlining its procedures and, as I said recently and instructed,
cutting down on its spending.
My dear compatriots,
To jumpstart our growth, I have
instructed the Government to implement a three-year “emergency plan”.
Its objective is to achieve visible progress and measurable improvements
in vital areas such as urban development, health, agriculture, roads,
energy, low-cost housing and security. I expect the said plan to meet
the most urgent needs of our populations nationwide.
This initiative is different from our
Growth and Employment Strategy which will continue to be implemented by
the Government. About CFAF 1 000 (one thousand) billion will be
allocated to the plan. The implementation of this plan will determine
whether we are capable of meeting the challenge whose outline and
timeframe we have ourselves defined.
Of course, it is crucial for our country to meet this challenge. We have the wherewithal.
My dear compatriots,
In a few hours, you will be happily celebrating New Year’s Day.
However, before that, let us spare a
thought for our soldiers who have fallen defending our Fatherland. Let
us spare a thought for those securing our borders, their grieving or
anxious families and our compatriots who are suffering physical and
psychological pain.
I would now like to extend to you all my best wishes for good health and happiness in the New Year.
Happy and prosperous New Year 2015!
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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