2016 draft budget to focus on economic growth

The government has announced a draft of the 2016 budget which saw most of its focus on economic growth as compared to last year.

Growth, deficit, inflation and public works were the main lines of the draft budget.

Below is the entire final communiqué on the budget.

The Prime Minister, Head of Government, Mr. Philemon Yang, chaired a cabinet meeting on Thursday, October 29, 2015, from 9 am at the Council Chamber. In attendance were the Ministers of State, Ministers, delegate ministers and secretaries of state.

The work, dedicated to the finance bill, resulted in two presentations: one by the Minister of Finance on "the 2016-2018 fiscal outlook and the outline of the finance bill for the year 2016" and the other was by the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Planning on "the implementation strategy of public investment in 2016".

As a prelude to these presentations, the Prime Minister issued an important communication, addressing the key challenges of the government after the readjustment of October 2, 2015.

He called on the government team for greater efficiency and determination in carrying out its duties, before giving guidelines to reduce the deficiencies identified by the President at the last Ministerial Council. Specific recommendations were also made on departmental roadmaps for the year 2016.

Referring more particularly the implementation of the three-year Emergency Plan for accelerating economic growth and the preparation of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2016 in female football and 2019 in men, the head of government recommended that they are more expeditious in the execution of projects.

Relating to the operation of public services, the prime minister asked the Ministers to strengthen the implementation of measures against corruption, to improve the conditions of supply of services to users and the quality of spending.

This measure should be reflected in particular by a significant decrease in the number and size of foreign missions. He further invited the scrupulous respect of the standing instruction of the president of the Republic requiring them to "ensure that officials under their authority are allowed to exercise their right to retire, actually release on time service".

The floor was then taken by the Minister of Finance for his presentation. It appeared that the draft budget for the 2016 fiscal year, which will be submitted to arbitration by the President of the Republic, would balance revenue and expenses of FCFA 4 249,8 billion as against FCFA 3 746,6 in the initial budget law in 2015.

This budget aims at not only for financing current operating expenses of the state but most importantly to ensure the completion of structuring first generation projects and those stated in the three-year emergency plan for accelerating growth and the construction of infrastructures necessary for the holding of the African Cup of Nations in football in 2016 and 2019.

Moreover, a wheel of resources will be devoted to the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) concomitantly launch structuring projects of second generation. The finance minister has called for a strengthening of fiscal discipline, master file and the balance of the payroll, the reduction of tax expenditures, the strict supervision of subsidies and transfers and guaranteeing a satisfactory implementation of the budget for the year 2016.

The work continued with the presentation by the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Planning on the execution of public investment strategy for the year 2016.

The measures envisaged for this purpose include strengthening the appropriation of procedures by contracting authorities, improved monitoring systems, shortening of procedures for the procurement and deployment of management control to officials in charge of pilot programs.

The Minister of Economy also suggested better management of investments of less than FCFA five million, executed by order and the establishment of a data bank of abandoned projects not completed or poorly executed in order to ensure priority funding for these projects in future budgets, after the removal of constraints which led to poor performance observed.

After the discussions that followed the presentations and pending the final arbitration of President of the Republic on the finance bill for the year 2016, the head of government gave directives for effective participation of government members in the budget session in Parliament and the proper execution of the state budget in January 2016. The meeting ended at 11:15 am.

Yaoundé, October 29, 2015

The secretary general of the Prime Minister's Office,

(e) Séraphin Magloire FoudaCalque.