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| Paul Biya |
Fellow Cameroonians,
My dear compatriots,
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!
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