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01:00My dear compatriots, you know my attachment to national unity, progress and peace.
01:23You are witnesses of the action the government has been taking for years under my leadership
01:30to bring an end to this security crisis that is undermining the development of these regions
01:39and plunging many families into mourning.
01:44I take this opportunity to remind the members of this armed band that the nation is still reaching out to them.
02:01I urge them once again to take up the offer of peace that has been made to them and to lay down their weapons.
02:11Brilliant. Good day.
02:14Keeping the olive branches of peace national concord and dialogue is the way to go.
02:23This is the guiding principle of this administration.
02:27Its approach is reminiscent of Winston Churchill's wise words that it is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war.
02:39President Pohbia's end-of-year address has sparked diverse interpretations,
02:45much like the parable of the elephant and the six blind men,
02:50with each individual giving a unique perspective of their understanding of that speech.
02:59We on this program will now return to some of the key points and themes of that speech with various experts.
03:09Ladies and gentlemen, this is inside the presidency and in the saddle, the saddle of the program as always,
03:18is your humble servant, Ashu Nyenti Nyawunde.
03:23Just grab a glass of water and rest on your sofa.
03:26We'll be back around the corner.
03:38One of the key takeaways of that address was the aspect of its tonality, issues of peace,
03:46and of course the election, presidential election that will be coming up in the month of October this year.
03:54Charles Eboné.
04:24The state civilities for the moment include warm exchanges with the Minister,
04:29Director of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic, Samuel Mvondo Ayulu,
04:34Communication Minister René-Manuel Sadi, the Director General of the Cameroon News and Publishing Corporation,
04:40Marie-Claire Nana, and a colleague of the Cameroon radio television, Charles Ndungu.
04:45Other close aides of the head of state are also present,
04:49and the first major topic Paul Bia handles in his 42nd address to the nation
04:54is security with focus on terrorism and criminality across the country.
05:04Security, which is a prerequisite for economic and social progress, has been and remains our core priority.
05:17Thanks to the combined action of our defence and police forces, the administrative authorities and the populace,
05:28our country has remained stable despite a particularly troubled global context.
05:38The President Paul Bia is a lover of peace, unity and prosperity of all Cameroonians.
05:48That is what he has been doing for the past 42 years.
05:55The President cares the works of the intelligence community and the security forces
06:00in protecting the population from the work of the men of the underworld.
06:05Some areas of our country continue to face cowardly attacks from terrorist groups and serious crime.
06:16However, I can assure you that all is being done to bring lasting peace across our territory.
06:28Crime in our urban areas and rural areas is being energetically combated by the forces of law and order, who I earnestly encourage.
06:46The President, actually, I can say he was chosen by God to be the President of this country,
06:55given the fact that we've gone through so many difficulties in this country, but we've always come out from such difficulties.
07:05And we can't come out of such difficulties without having a man like our President.
07:14To the authors of terrorism in the northwest and southwest regions, plus the far north region,
07:20President Paul Bia tags them to stop their projects,
07:24before telling separatists in the northwest and southwest regions of the country this blatant truth.
07:31It can never be overemphasized that the separatist cause championed by these palpably enlightened beings is doomed to failure.
07:44Cameroon will remain one and indivisible. Such is the wish of the overwhelming majority of our compatriots.
07:55This is the very essence of the mandate given to me, and I will never fail to deliver it.
08:03National unity in this country is something we need to hold really dear,
08:09given the fact that in a country like ours, with about 250 something languages, different tribes,
08:17it is always very difficult to unite these tribes.
08:21But our President has done so much to see that there is peace, there is unity in this country.
08:28We really do appreciate and love him for being our President.
08:32Backed by actions at the National Assembly, which has increased and adopted the budget,
08:37which he has equally promulgated for the reconstruction of the regions,
08:41President Paul Bia says life will be returning to normalcy progressively
08:46in the northwest and southwest regions of the country through the reconstruction projects.
08:51My dear compatriots, you know my attachment to national unity, progress and peace.
09:02You are witnesses of the action the government has been taking for years under my leadership
09:11to bring an end to this security crisis that is undermining the development of these regions
09:19and plunging many families into mourning.
09:23We should all come together as one people to build this country, Cameroon, and to see that we live in peace.
09:31At the helm of a compassionate nation, always begging for peace through an olive branch message
09:38extended to them, President Paul Bia tells terrorists in the northwest and southwest regions
09:45plus the far north region to join the disarmament centers across the country
09:50to prepare their return to normal life after years of being lost to a failed idea.
09:56I take this opportunity to remind the members of this armed band
10:03that the nation is still reaching out to them.
10:14I urge them once again to take up the offer of peace that has been made to them
10:20and to lay down their weapons.
10:23Hundreds of their comrades have already joined the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration centers
10:31and have been trained in different trades for their ease of social integration.
10:36We are living in peace in this country and we are moving forward in this country.
10:43We should, you know, Cameroonians should compare, should open their ears,
10:51they should open their eyes also to know what is going on around the world
10:57before comparing Cameroon is a peaceful country.
11:00We are moving forward and we are facing many difficulties.
11:05But because of his know-how, because of his know-how,
11:10we can quietly sit here and discuss as we wish.
11:14Because of his know-how, we have crisis, but he knows how to overcome the crisis,
11:20he knows how to maintain us together.
11:23To maintain peace and national unity for the development of the country,
11:27justice through good governance is imperative
11:30and President Paul Bier comes back to the perennial issue of corruption,
11:35which has terribly destroyed the country, according to him.
11:38Improving governance also means stepping up the fight against corruption
11:44and misappropriation of public funds.
11:49This ensures legal protection for private investment and land tenure security
11:56where abuses have been noted.
11:59He leaves no stone unturned when it gets to good governance, transparency.
12:05He warns that whatever the government has put into the budget
12:12should trickle down to where it is supposed to be,
12:16and anything short of that is embezzlement.
12:19And he leaves no stone unturned to punish embezzlement.
12:25And that is, as the head of this institution, he is my boss,
12:29from whom I take instructions and to whom I render accounts,
12:33he makes sure we fight corruption, we fight embezzlement,
12:37and we fight anything that stands in the way of good governance.
12:44Because what he wants is good governance, transparency, accountability.
12:49And with the national anti-corruption latest report
12:53outlining that the cancer is surging,
12:56with plus 115 billion CFA francs lost by the state treasury in the past two years,
13:03Paul Bier pledged to punish people based on evidence
13:07to keep the integrity of the legal system intact
13:10and avoid prejudice which the government has suffered over the years
13:14because of poorly prepared files.
13:17Let me assure you of one thing.
13:21Appropriate sanctions will be meted out on those found guilty of such offences.
13:28The last major topic handled by President Paul Bier
13:32in his 27 minutes address to the nation
13:35is the next electoral calendar which, according to him,
13:38will be respected according to the constitution.
13:42The year 2025 will usher in a new season of elections.
13:50According to the electoral calendar,
13:53the presidential and regional elections will be held this year.
13:59As in the past, these events will represent major milestones
14:05in the life of our nation.
14:07Let us take this opportunity to further strengthen our democracy.
14:12A firm and determined president focused on completing a constitutionally won mandate,
14:18Paul Bier, with years of experience,
14:21delivered his message with simpler wordings for common sense understanding.
14:26I can assure you that my resolve to serve you remains steadfast
14:33and grows stronger by the day as we address the immense challenges facing us.
14:40Although Cameroon is brilliantly cheering the United Nations' 79th General Assembly meeting,
14:46there was no mention to avoid triumphalism.
14:50Although the biggest confederation of football in the world,
14:53the Confederation of African Football brilliantly honoured him with an excellence award.
14:58A few days to the speech,
15:00President Paul Bier did not use the national stage for personal self-glorification.
15:05Although the Indomitable Lions brilliantly qualified to play this year's Africa Cup of Nations,
15:12President Paul Bier made no comment on the national sports movement.
15:17The November 6, 1982, man simply wished all Cameroonians well
15:22as we collectively journey into this 2025 with an unchanging Greece.
15:39Apart from politics, one other issue in the country that concerns the common man are social issues,
15:47issues of education, health and roads.
15:51These are some of the areas in which President Paul Bier came out with a strong critique of his own government
15:58in areas where they have faltered,
16:01but also indicating that there is a silver lining at the end of the tunnel, i.e. Mbile.
16:18Investing in health care, education and road construction has always been a priority for the President of the Republic.
16:26When you look at the budgets of these three ministries,
16:29these are the ministries that have one of the largest budgets in the National Assembly
16:33and the head of state made no error in insisting on these particular ministries
16:40and the activities of these particular ministries are what touches the life of the common man.
16:47An attachment to improving the living conditions of Cameroonians re-echoed by the President
16:52in his end-of-year message when he said,
16:55my core concern since acceding to the helm of the state has always been to improve the living conditions of Cameroonians.
17:03We saw a head of state who is well informed, who has sufficient knowledge about what is happening in the country
17:12and the Cameroonians have no doubt about it because President Mbile has been ruling this country for several years.
17:17He knows our problems, he knows the problems and he knows he has the solutions to these problems.
17:24So when you read through the head of state's speech, you see somebody who is determined, committed
17:30to ensure that the problems that Cameroonians are facing, that these problems are solved
17:35and he was very directive even in his speech by making Cameroonians understand
17:40that he has given instructions to the various actors involved to carry out specific assignments,
17:47specific missions that will be able to help us improve on the living conditions of our country as we heard in his speech.
17:56Walking the talk, President Paul Bia thus intends to enhance quality health care for his people.
18:03These past 12 months, the Ministry of Public Health have been on the road every time
18:09and a series of bills have been passed that affects the health of Cameroonians.
18:15We spoke of those of children, that of ageing.
18:23We even met as a commission of social and cultural affairs.
18:27We went to the hospital, the central hospital by us here, to visit the hospital to see what the government has been doing
18:33in the life of elderly people.
18:35The rehabilitation of some of our hospitals, majority of our hospitals who have been rehabilitated in the year that has fallen
18:44and equipment given to the hospital by the Ministry of Public Health is something that is laudable.
18:50The construction of the last two big hospitals, Betua and Ngamderi, is a plus to the health standard of our population.
19:01You know it's a sector that is so vast and that demands a lot from the government.
19:06And Cameroonians should not expect that we just get up in one morning and we see all of it being done.
19:13So I use this opportunity to appreciate the fact that the head of state has it in mind, has it in his vision,
19:20that we will improve on the health sector.
19:23Plans to recruit 9,944 health workers over the next five years, as announced by the head of state,
19:31will also bring in fresh perspectives and much needed innovative approaches to care.
19:37That is a plus and that is assurance because most of our hospitals lack personnel, particularly in our emergency units.
19:44So I think the government is ready.
19:46The head of state has made it clear, I am ready and I am able to do these things together.
19:53And I must say that I personally would love to see doctors and our nurses,
20:00and particularly our brothers and sisters who are serving in these crisis areas of the northwest and southwest,
20:06and that of the extreme north, something extra.
20:09It happens in every other place where there is war, there are some people they have to give special attention to.
20:15These people in this sector should be given incentives to keep them to stay on.
20:19No country can develop with sick people. We need healthy people to develop.
20:25The President of Colombia is aware of that and he has put a lot of emphasis on it by recruiting 9,000 and above health workers.
20:35We believe this is going to boost, encourage our people.
20:41Even you understand that in the mining sector there are a lot of health hazards in the mining sector.
20:47We know how, we've seen how our children are suffering in the coal mines in the east region to exploit iron ore.
20:55They are going to affect people's health and so on.
20:57So this is a sector which has a lot of risk.
21:00Chemicals are going to be used to clean the, to produce the minerals and all these chemicals affect the population.
21:08They are going to destroy the environment and the health situation of the population is going to be affected.
21:14So if we have a good health coverage then certainly the mining sector is going to develop without any problems.
21:21A decaying road network, frustrating for most Cameroonians as President Paul Biya said,
21:27quote, this situation significantly impacts economic activities and is often a major cause of traffic accidents, is also of prime concern to the government.
21:38The President has a lot of interest in the mining sector because up till this moment our minerals are still intact, they were unexploited.
21:46We spent a lot of time celebrating our potential, which is good enough, but this time the head of state said we have to go beyond celebrating potential.
21:54That we have to go on to exploit these mines and Cameroon has a lot of minerals.
22:00We have gold, we have iron, we have bauxite, in large quantities.
22:04And these minerals have to move from the hinterland to the industrial zones and others, even exported.
22:12And they have to go through the infrastructure, be it rail, be it road.
22:17So the head of state addressing the question of roads, it touches directly the mining sector because how will we move iron or from cribby to the ports?
22:27How will we move it from the bauxite from the damawa to the ports and so on?
22:33So the question of roads is essential, apart from the mining sector.
22:37And we believe that if these roads are developed, these mines will be able to move out of the areas where they are located to the industrial zones.
22:47And they will normally be exploited, transformed, because the President talked about industrialization.
22:53You know that the law provides that our minerals, at least 15% should be transformed locally.
22:58Which means that there will be a lot of industries that will develop and this industry is going to improve on employment and so on.
23:06In effect, plans to rehabilitate the Bikoko, Limbe, Idinawa and Mutengene Boya road sections will revamp for many the arteries through which the economy of the southwest region pulses.
23:20You look at the head of state who is determined to service people, he knows our worries.
23:25He started by saying that I know your frustrations over the road network, urban and inter-urban roads.
23:32He accepted that there is a problem and I must say that before the Christmas period, the exercise that was carried out on the road by the Ministry of Public Works,
23:43or say by the government through the Ministry of Public Works, because it would take up to the 24th of a month, it would take an extra budget of the state to mobilize what I've seen on the road.
23:53I came back last night and the way the road has been rehabilitated, at least it is possible, it is worth noting.
24:02And I just want to duck my hat by thanking the minister that often he has made series of trips on the roads, on roads generally to see for himself.
24:13You can imagine that some contractors have been suspended a couple of days ago, contracts changed.
24:17That is what we expect of the Minister of Public Works and that's what he has been doing.
24:21We expect him to go down to the field time and again.
24:23But then, like the head of state said, it is not him alone.
24:25He has to be collective, the divisional delegates and all the others.
24:30And today you see the head of state talking about the roads, which they have to do.
24:35The Kribi, the Kribi, Lolodov, Garwa, Garwa Ngaundere, Bekoko, Limbe, Edinau, Boya.
24:52That road comes from my region and it touches me particularly.
24:56I must say that I am very happy.
24:59I know the series of accidents that have taken place on that road because of its poor state.
25:04And the Minister of Public Works also, in one of his explanatory statements in the assembly during the budgetary session,
25:11mentioned that road.
25:12If I'm not mistaken, there is an Italian company that everything has been arranged already that will come and do that road.
25:18It was a sign of relief for us, most parliamentarians from the southwest region.
25:23It was a sign of relief because it's a capital road for us.
25:26Limbe, you know the importance of Limbe.
25:28I know you know the importance of Edinau, which is a transit town to our brothers of Nigeria and other places.
25:34So it will not just increase comments through the Tico port, the Edinau port, and then the CDC,
25:40transportation of our goods out of the country and bringing in other things that we badly need from our neighboring countries.
25:47It's going to help us more.
25:48And even in a crisis, with bad roads, we are in danger.
25:53It puts our military, our violent forces under danger because the road is not smooth.
25:58Most of you are stuck because of the bad road and you can be attacked easily.
26:05So when this part of it is done, I mean, we are going to be very, very happy.
26:10And I take this opportunity as a member of parliament to sincerely salute the head of state for this initiative.
26:18Teachers returning from the Christmas break have also been reassured of ongoing efforts to improve their working conditions.
26:25Within the 42 years President Pogba has been ruling, we have seen great, major strides in the educational sector
26:32with the improvement of education in primary school, free education.
26:36Universities are coming up in their numbers.
26:39We have about 11 state universities today.
26:42We have the professionalization of our education.
26:47Today our children go to school knowing that they're not going to end up as ordinary job seekers,
26:52but that they should be able to produce their own, employ themselves through our educational system.
26:58So when the president touches on education, it's like saying that this is a vital sector of our country.
27:04And he's reassuring the parents, even the children, that they can go to school comfortably.
27:10That we have a good educational system.
27:13And that this educational system is targeting growth, the growth of our country.
27:19It's targeting the development of this country.
27:21Because today we're no longer talking of children just writing competitive exams.
27:26We're not talking of children just going to school to study general knowledge.
27:31But we're talking of children who go to school to study a technical education,
27:37to be able to work in the industries.
27:39If we're talking of industrialization, we need technicians.
27:42We shall not import people from outside to come and handle our industries, our factories.
27:46Our own children have to be the ones to handle these factories.
27:50So when President Prabia talks about improving on the educational system,
27:54improving on the living conditions of the population, which will affect this educational system,
28:01I think the president is like saying, I know your problem, I know what is happening.
28:05And the president talks not only of the children, or the school children, or the parents, but he talks about the teachers.
28:10Because you know, the teachers are really, no one can say he's anything without a teacher.
28:17The teachers, our teachers are very important for our lives.
28:20We are what we are today because of our teachers.
28:22President Prabia is aware of that.
28:24And at every moment, he wants to think that the teachers have good working conditions.
28:32Those who have maybe arrears, we hear the president talking of these arrears being paid,
28:36even in previous speeches, and the various actors, the various ministers,
28:41be it basic education, be it higher education,
28:44they are all doing their best to ensure that the working conditions of the teachers are good,
28:49good enough to permit them to educate our children,
28:52and be able to have a good future for them in our country.
28:56During their sessions in Parliament, the Minister of Finance, in one of his explanations,
29:00explanatory statement, made it very clear that we are in 2025,
29:05the first quarter of 2025, if I'm not mistaken,
29:08will be the last vague of all the promises that the government made for the teachers.
29:13And he said, and I quote,
29:16I am going to make sure, on behalf of the government, as Minister of Finance,
29:20to make sure that before this first quarter, we'll be able to realize what the head of state prescribed for teachers.
29:26And he himself came back to his speech at the 31st to say that
29:29I will do it, and so I'm supporting that action,
29:33that let the teachers who take care of our children,
29:36who are here, our children are in school, at least let the salary be frequent.
29:39We just have to be optimistic.
29:41You have to be optimistic when you find a person who says,
29:44I am ready to serve you.
29:46First of all, thank you for the confidence you gave me for the past seven year mandate,
29:50and I'm telling you that the same person that you gave that confidence
29:53is the one addressing you today.
29:55I am ready to serve you.
29:57So I think I, in all, I am praying to give him that confidence to run his activity for 2025.
30:04He has given us his plans, all I wish the head of state is good health,
30:08and I wish the minister, those who, the implementing officers,
30:11those who will be on the field to implement, because the budget itself is rich.
30:16But the problem is the implementation of that rich budget.
30:21Indeed, and as the President of the Republic said,
30:252025 promises to be replete with challenges.
30:28However, he adds, there is not a shadow of a doubt in my mind
30:33that by remaining as united and cohesive as always, we will meet them.
30:50The import substitution policy is the way to go.
30:53We've been told with figures that it has been very, very successful.
30:57But the President was mindful to insist that Infini Industrialization
31:03will be the policy for sustained growth, development in this country,
31:09and of course a creation of jobs for the youth.
31:14Chris Che Atom.
31:24The head of state, in his end of year message to the nation,
31:28noted that economic indicators for Cameroon are getting better and better
31:33after the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and by geopolitical tensions
31:39in Eastern Europe and elsewhere.
31:41He noted that these improvements are a result of the high resilience
31:46of the Cameroonian economy, aided by specific policies,
31:51put in place, an assertion which the Prime Minister Head of Government,
31:57the man at the centre of government action, understands only too well.
32:02The second important aspect of his speech turned on economic growth.
32:07Of course we know that without growth we will stagnate,
32:12and with stagnation we will regress.
32:15And therefore it is important to know that we had a 3.8% growth last year.
32:22We expect 4.1%.
32:25Some people think that it could even go up to 4.2%.
32:29That is so because some of the basic conditionalities
32:35that have to be put in place are being put in place,
32:38and the foremost amongst them is energy.
32:41Without energy you cannot industrialise.
32:46And if you see how much money has been put in this sector,
32:50in the past 15 years we have put in about 2,500 billion.
32:54The other things which he mentioned are the progress we are making
32:58in the mining sector, and of course the mining sector is to render
33:02Cameroon self-sufficient in a number of things.
33:05For example in steel, which is indispensable for construction.
33:10In cement, which is indispensable for construction.
33:13So a lot of those areas have improved enormously,
33:16and the economy is being boosted by all of that.
33:22He even talked of this tile factory near the Caribbean,
33:27which is also an input, and I am not going to mention
33:30the many other areas where we have seen improvement
33:33because I work on these issues every day,
33:36so I know the areas where things are happening.
33:38The gains recorded since Cameroon started unrolling
33:42the import substitution policy are enormous.
33:45The Prime Minister of Government, Joseph Diongute,
33:48has on different occasions explained the effects
33:51which the import substitution policy is having on the economy of Cameroon.
33:56Under the leadership of the Head of State, President Paul Biya,
33:59he put forward what we call the S&D Trump,
34:04the National Development Strategy 2020-2030.
34:09And that strategy is meant to not only industrialize the country,
34:16but in order to take advantage of our natural environment,
34:21our climatic environment, our strength in agriculture,
34:28to increase the value of all our products,
34:31and to make sure that we are not dependent on external factors
34:36and therefore we can resist more to external shocks.
34:39One of the pillars of the national strategy is import substitution.
34:44There are a lot of things which we were importing
34:48and which we think we can create and develop within the country.
34:54And I'll give you one example which captures this philosophy,
34:58metallurgy.
35:00Until quite recently, we imported more than 70% of our building materials
35:09in terms of iron rods and the like.
35:12Today, Cameroon not only is providing all the iron rods for its construction,
35:19but we have a surplus which we are exporting to other nations around us.
35:24So that is just an example of a development of policies
35:29and we're improving it out, which gives a kind of sovereignty, if you like.
35:35I know that it's not total.
35:37You can't have total sovereignty.
35:39But we are doing this in order to make sure that we are self-sufficient
35:42in a number of critical areas.
35:44The other area I can mention is in agro-industry.
35:49There are a number of things which we are importing,
35:53which I must say right now we are exporting.
35:57Not only are we satisfying our local markets,
36:00and this deals with a number of products, food products.
36:06We are producing our own, we are developing our own,
36:09and then we are exporting to other countries.
36:11We have some areas where we still have a few problems,
36:14like some commodities like rice and the like.
36:17We are also in this process trying to develop the land,
36:20because the important thing in rice production is not planting or doing that,
36:25it's the land.
36:26You have to irrigate the land, you have to get it,
36:28make it appropriate for people to invest in,
36:32and the government's role is to create that infrastructure
36:35to develop the land, irrigate it, make sure that it's fertile and it's good,
36:40and then we get private sector operatives to come in and do the work.
36:45The latest deal which is going to further strengthen Cameroon's drive
36:49towards industrialization is the Kribi Modern Steel Complex,
36:54whose foundation stone was planted by the Prime Minister of Government
36:58a week ago in Kribi.
37:00The factory will make the full transformation of iron ore possible in Cameroon,
37:06and comes with enormous advantages.
37:09We are going to add value to the iron ore by this big plant,
37:15which is going to cost hundreds of millions, billions of francs,
37:21and in partnership with our Chinese company, Camsteel,
37:27so we believe that Cameroon will become the first in Central African region
37:36to add value to iron ore.
37:39This iron ore from Balam is going to be transformed from 70% or 64% to 100%,
37:49which will now serve for making iron products in Cameroon,
37:55which all this while have been imported,
37:59and we are going to have iron pellets, which is the base of the iron ore industry.
38:06So this is the Balam project that has come through,
38:11which moves from not just exporting raw material,
38:15but it's the transformation process which is in line with the import solicitation,
38:21the S&D 30 plan of the country.
38:25We think that the vision of the head of state to implement this project
38:29has come to fruition with the development of the downstream sector.
38:34It will take 18 months to build this plant,
38:37and as I said, the first phase will be about 73 billion,
38:43but the final phase is going to cost hundreds of billions in the final installation.
38:49So we are looking at 18 months to complete the plant,
38:53and after this, basic infrastructures will start,
38:57but the plant itself will take 18 months to put into place.
39:00These are just examples of some of the areas where Cameroon
39:04has been making considerable efforts to push its industrialization to another level.
39:09In 2024, the Simpoe cement factory was inaugurated in the Douala port area.
39:15The structure fabricates cement using local materials
39:19and permits the reduction of imported clinker by 40 to 50 percent,
39:24a technique which helps improve Cameroon's balance of trade.
39:28The same could be said of the Prometal factory in Douala
39:32and many other factories which have already seen the light of day
39:36or which are getting ready to be inaugurated.
39:40They all point to one direction,
39:42that Cameroon is taking its destiny in its own hands
39:46and making bold steps towards industrialization and job creation.
40:00Now this country can muster the financial muscle or resources at its disposal,
40:06but all of these will have an impact depending on the financial discipline
40:12that is brought in the management of public affairs,
40:16issues of governance and, of course, clipping the wings of corruption.
40:21These are some of the areas the president insisted
40:25and, of course, he hopes to deliver on.
40:28Quinta Rita Edang.
40:31The Reduction of Cameroon's Trade Deficit
40:41The reduction of Cameroon's trade deficit,
40:44the strengthening of small and medium-sized enterprises,
40:47as well as ensuring food sovereignty through agricultural production
40:52are some of the cardinal measures aimed at boosting economic growth
40:56and improving living standards,
40:58as highlighted in the head of state's end-of-year address.
41:01To reduce our trade balance deficit
41:04and ensure food sovereignty,
41:09the integrated agri-pastoral and fisheries import substitution plan,
41:17which I announced last year,
41:20is starting to yield tangible outcomes.
41:26During this year, 452 tonnes of seed
41:31and 12,800 tonnes of flour were produced.
41:36The head of state himself made mention of agro-industrial technology hub
41:43in Waza, Babuke, Vyankoteng.
41:48This is to tell you that this hub,
41:52the head of state said,
41:54it is devoted to the production and processing of cereal,
41:58tuba and roba.
42:00You understand that at the beginning of the war,
42:07the Ukrainian-Russian war,
42:09African countries suffered a lot.
42:12There was a lot of shortage of cereal in the African market.
42:21So for the head of state to have brought this initiative,
42:25it is a very laudable one.
42:27The close-to-30-minute address also confirmed Cameroon's determination
42:31to maintain the structural transformation of the economy.
42:35Several initiatives have been undertaken to this regard,
42:41including the Kribi Port Authority's integrated industrial area
42:48dedicated to the processing of commodities such as cocoa, coffee and roba.
42:55Similarly, two economic zones specializing in wood processing
43:02are being set up in Edea and Betwa.
43:06Let's take the example of the import substitution policy
43:10that to me is its number one legacy
43:15because it is the same thing, the same policy
43:19that has been adopted at the level of the African Union.
43:21It is a policy that encourages Cameroonians
43:24to produce what we consume and consume what we produce.
43:28As a curtain across this import substitution policy,
43:32we have seen several initiatives put in place
43:36in the domain of the youth, in the domain of the women,
43:40in the domain of the elderly,
43:42in the agricultural sector, in the industrial sector.
43:46Job creation is equally expected to witness an increase
43:50as a result of Cameroon's industrialization process.
43:54We talked about industrialization.
43:57The head of state himself rejoiced that in the near future,
44:00Cameroon will become a giant plant for tires production in the Central African Subregion.
44:05The head of state also talked about the six cement factories
44:12aimed at improving infrastructure in our country.
44:17All of these initiatives are aimed at improving the living standard of Cameroonians.
44:23The head of state, President Paul Biya, underscored efforts made
44:27to ensure that the population has access to basic social services.
44:32The construction of the 420 megawatt Nautical Hydroelectric Power Station
44:38is on course to deliver.
44:40When you see what is the demand now and what is the production,
44:46the gap is very, very important.
44:49To evaluate the demand, the new demand of our industries,
44:54which is about 450 megawatt,
44:59this demand is not covered.
45:02So Nautical is coming to cover a big part of this demand.
45:09With Nautical, now you plan to supply the north region,
45:17the far north region,
45:19because before Nautical, we are not able to cover this demand.
45:25Before Nautical, you have another project like Merveilleux, 211 megawatts,
45:33but it's not able to cover the demand.
45:36You have this project where you are storing water
45:42to regulate the production in the actual dams,
45:48which are Edea and Saint-Loulou,
45:52because in dry season, we need this water.
45:56So without this storage water,
45:59you will not be able to have a good level of production.
46:05So you have what we call Lompangar Dam,
46:08which is only a storage.
46:11But near Lompangar, you have a small dam,
46:14which is producing about 30 megawatts.
46:18But the most important project is Merveilleux and Nautical.
46:26Rural electrification is equally on the agenda.
46:30With regard to the rural areas in particular,
46:34phase four of the project to electrify 1,000 localities with solar energy will continue.
46:42Making available electricity in the rural area is central to economic transformation
46:47because one, it's going to reduce rural exodus.
46:50Two, it's going to make agriculture a veritable and attractive sector for the youth.
46:54Three, it's going to make sure that industries are set up in rural communities,
47:03thereby decongesting the urban area
47:06and making the project for sustainable cities a veritable one.
47:11Access to water has also been guaranteed.
47:14You have the production, which is not able to cover the demand.
47:20The production is about 180,000 cubic meters a day,
47:26and the demand is about 250,000 cubic meters.
47:30So you need to cover this production if you will be able to supply all the population.
47:37That is why the head of state decided to put in place a piece of project
47:43which is bringing 3,000 cubic meters a day.
47:48This production, you can extend it at 400,000 cubic meters a day.
47:53But the solution is not only to bring water in the city.
47:59Now you have to make extension to bring this water to the household.
48:04This is the main goal in 2025.
48:08When you see the budget to cover one million people in 2025 in Yaounde cities.
48:18The head of state prescribed good governance as a prerequisite
48:22for Cameroon to achieve its development goals
48:25with the need to take stringent measures to avoid budgetary pressures.
48:30When there's budgetary indiscipline,
48:33it means that the budget is not being executed as it ought to be.
48:38When the team sent by Consul Pei go for control
48:41and they realize that there's budgetary indiscipline,
48:44which we call mismanagement, irregularities,
48:47try as much as possible to bring them to the board.
48:51It's a disciplinary board, brings them back to order.
48:54Because if you don't bring them back to order, first of all,
48:57if the budget doesn't tickle down to do what it's supposed to do,
49:05it means that many things will go wrong.
49:07When you have budgetary indiscipline, there will be no good governance.
49:10And you know so many things flow from good governance.
49:14And development comes around because of the good governance.
49:17There's peace and justice because of good governance.
49:19That's why we preach that there should be accountability.
49:23When Consul Pei goes for control, it comes with recommendations.
49:26And the recommendations are forwarded to the entity that was audited
49:31so that corrections can be done.
49:34And so that there can be good governance, there can be transparency,
49:38there can be accountability.
49:40The need to intensify the fight against corruption
49:43also featured prominently in the address.
49:46Ignorance of the law is no defense.
49:48There's nobody above the law.
49:51The state keeps preaching it because the acts of mismanagement,
49:56of embezzlement is still very recurrent,
49:59despite the fact that there are so many people who are being sanctioned.
50:03At my own level, I'm not the only institution that carries out acts of,
50:10to fight against embezzlement.
50:12There is the Special Criminal Court,
50:15there is the Ministry of Justice, the High Courts and so on,
50:19and other agencies.
50:21You know, Conak goes against corruption.
50:23And so we fight all of this, but it still goes on.
50:26It will just be like in every corner.
50:30You find churches, you find people going to churches,
50:34but they still sin.
50:35So we'll keep on fighting.
50:37We'll not give up.
50:38We'll keep on sensitizing.
50:39We'll keep on fighting.
50:40As the head of state says, we'll step up the fight
50:45against embezzlement and corruption.
50:47With a visionary plan of action outlined by the head of state,
50:51President Paul Biya, in his end-of-year message,
50:54Cameroonians are therefore invited to work diligently
50:58to build a solid nation.
51:11Thanks, ladies and gentlemen,
51:14for watching this first program of the Year of Our Lord 2025.
51:20Until we meet again in another fortnight,
51:23stay blessed, stay safe, and goodbye.
51:44© BF-WATCH TV 2021
52:14© BF-WATCH TV 2021
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