A visiting delegation of Chadian Members of Parliament has called on the Government of Cameroon to resume economic activities with Chad along the Ngaoundere – Ndjamena corridor. The Chadian MPs made the call on the 24th May 2017 during an audience with Cameroon’s Vice Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon Theodore Datouo.

After the audience, the head of the Chadian delegation and the 3rd Vice President of the National Assembly, Hon Theophile Yobombe explained to reporters that their call for the resumption of economic activities follows the return of security along the Ngaoundere – Ndjamena corridor in the North Region.

The Chadian M.P. also acknowledged and lauded the efforts of the Presidents of Cameroon and Chad in combating the negative effects of terror attacks in the Central African sub region.

Source: CRTV

Gross domestic product shrank by 0.5 percent in the first three months of 2017, an improvement from a 1.7 percent fall in the last quarter of 2016, said Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics. Despite an encouraging pick-up of momentum in the non-oil sector, the latest reading disappointed expectations of a modest recovery and an exit out of a debilitating recession. “It’s worse than what we’d expected,” said John Ashbourne, Africa economist at London-based Capital Economics.

“But if you remove oil, non-oil GDP increased. Manufacturing picked up and construction picked up,” Ashbourne said, “it’s a pretty positive set of figures in the sense that the contraction is easing.” As a result of attacks on oil and gas infrastructure in the oil-producing swamplands, last year production fell to a low of 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) and Nigeria’s growth contracted by 1.5 percent.

“The numbers still show a contraction, although at least the hemorrhage has stopped,” said Cheta Nwanze, research head at SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based advisory firm, “I’m cautious because we are growing too slowly.”

Growth is likely to pick up in the next quarter if there are no new attacks on oil and gas infrastructure. Economists say a new government policy increasing the availability of foreign exchange is already yielding positive results.

“Given the weak base, double-digit oil sector growth is possible going forward, even given compliance with OPEC oil production cuts which may take effect following this week’s meeting,” said Razia Khan, Africa economist at Standard Chartered Bank. “Even more encouraging is the likely improvement in non-oil sector growth momentum, with improved availability of foreign exchange,” Khan said.

“The weakness of the first quarter is a concern, but the effects of these reforms will be seen further out.”

(Source: AFP)

United Bank for Africa (UBA) has announced the rollout of the Debit MasterCard card in Cameroon in support of financially empowering all citizens. Focused on displacing cash, the electronic payment solution will deliver a quick, convenient and secure payment alternative for all citizens – instantly.

In line with its strategic vision, UBA is introducing innovative payment solutions that meet the needs of people across Africa. The Debit Mastercard card gives the cardholder full control of their funds and provides them with the ability to deposit funds directly from a savings or current account, thereby reflecting all transactions in real time.

“As a group, we are committed to driving financial inclusion and empowering businesses across Africa, and our partnership with Mastercard enables us to deploy safe electronic solutions to the benefit of the entire country,” said Dr. Yinka Adedeji, UBA’s Group Head, Digital Banking.

Cameroonians can visit any UBA branch across the country to request the card, and cardholders don’t have to wait days or weeks to receive the card, they will instantly be signed up and can start using the debit card immediately.

The UBA and Mastercard partnership is helping to empower people through access to financial tools, with the launch in Cameroon following the recent rollout in Ghana. The quick go-to-market strategy is ensuring that more people are connected to the formal financial sector, giving them the power to pay for goods and services in-store or online wherever Mastercard is accepted. The debit card can also be used at any ATM locally and at millions of ATM locations worldwide.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, the Managing Director/CEO, UBA Cameroon, Mr Udom Isong said, “The introduction of the UBA Debit Mastercard into the market will enable our customers to carry out their banking transactions in a safer, more convenient and more reliable manner. Our customers’ needs are changing and as they change, we will continue to adopt smart technology solutions that deliver superior services.”

Omokehinde Adebanjo, Vice President and Area Business Head for West Africa, Mastercard said, “In order to drive financial inclusion we need to ensure all Africans feel confident that their money is secure. The UBA Debit Mastercard introduces the latest global payment standards with EMV Chip and PIN technology embedded into the card making it difficult for fraudsters to duplicate your information.”

The chip embedded into the card contains information that is encrypted making it almost impossible for the card to be copied or counterfeited. The chip card will also have a magnetic stripe on the back, so that cardholders can continue using their cards while merchants are transitioning to new chip-enabled terminals.

Cardholders will also be able to select their own PIN, giving them full control to approve transactions at the point of sale or when withdrawing cash from ATMs. Adebanjo also said that both organizations were focused on boosting the financial inclusion across Africa She highlighted that the partnership supported MasterCard’s global commitment to financially empower more people by 2020.

Culled from Cameroon Info.Net

Faced with enormous internal and external threats from recalcitrant businessmen, who will go to any length to deprive the state of financial resources and put the lives of Cameroonians at risk, the Cameroon Customs has been re-strategizing to circumvent such malpractices. To up the skills acquired during statutory formation period, customs agents at the central and external services receive regular advanced training on the fight against smuggling offered by experts who combine experience and professionalism. The Cameroon Customs has continuously empowered customs officers with practical skills which put them far beyond mere theoretical concepts.

Being a paramilitary force, we learned the Directorate General of Customs has been collaborating with other security forces in protecting the national territory, especially the economy, against several forms of threats. Ever since a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defense, the Cameroon Customs with the support of the Navy has carried out many surveillance operations on the territorial waters in the Gulf of Guinea; a volatile coast susceptible to all forms of criminal activities.

Cameroon Customs have put in place a security mechanism whereby customs offers at posts, backed by mobile brigade officers monitor and control the possession and movement of goods across the national territory. According to the Director General of Customs, Fongod Edwin Nuvaga, their concerted efforts have been paying off as successive operations have led to the seizure of goods from illegal trade and the seizure of prohibited items in the likes of mines, weapons, explosives and other substances likely to be used to put the life of citizens and the security of the state in jeopardy.

Fongod noted that in addition to other operations, they have equally put in place an anti-fraud strategy based on partnership and action. “We launched the Operation Stopping Illicit Trade, code-named ‘Operation HALCOMI’ which was carried out from August 16 to December 31, 2016, by the Directorate General of Customs in collaboration with private sector enterprises and the Navy. From East to West, from North to South, the fight against illegal trade is contributing towards the development of the national economy,” he said. Fongod told national daily, Cameroon Tribune that the operation let to the systematic seizure of illegal goods and enterprises which hitherto complained about illegal goods have seen their businesses regain life. Officials of the Directorate General of Customs say last year, Operation HALCOMI let to the recovery of FCFA 357,031,600 as fines. Tones of contraband goods such as pallets of Malta and Dudu, iron rods, wine, whisky, fuel, biscuits, food sweetener, amongst others, were impound at territorial borders.

In order to more effectively address the rising illegal trade and new threats such as money laundering, terrorism, abduction of persons and other transnational crimes, the Cameroon Customs, we learned, is collaborating with Niger, Nigeria, Chad and the Central African Republic to ensure trans-border security. In this conversation with CT, Fongod Edwin Nuvaga revealed that raising FCFA 800 Billion remains his department’s top priority.

Can you tell us how the Custom sector is generally faring?

The Directorate General of Customs is certainly facing many persistent cyclical challenges within a context marked notably by the contraction of trade and the continuous drop in the price of the barrel of oil on the international market. That notwithstanding, I think we are faring well. We are accomplishing our task with professionalism and determination. There is serenity within the ranks of the Customs Administration, with regard to the perfect execution of its specific missions, namely: the fiscal, economic and surveillance missions as well as the mission of assistance to other public administrations.

Mindful of the Head of State’s vision to digitalize the economy, how far has the Directorate General of Customs gone in incorporating ICTs in its operations?

Today, ICTs are omnipresent in the customs environment. From the use of ICTs in customs intelligence, office automation and the website for the publication and dissemination of information, to the use of automated customs clearance systems for customs declaration, from risk management and scanning of containers, validation and processing of information right up to specific procedures, ICTs have transformed the way Cameroon Customs operate. By focusing on digital technology, we are fully accommodating the vision of the President of the Republic, His Excellency Paul Biya, but also the vision of the World Customs Organization, which placed the year 2017 under the slogan: “Data analysis for effective border management.” In the realization of this standard vision, Cameroon Customs is experimenting several tools, the most relevant of which are: ASYCUDA++, electronic payment, container scanning, NEXUS+, GESSPER, electronic manifest, performance measurement, smart phones, the website, the intranet and so on.

In late 2016, we observed that the customs revenue dropped as compared to the year 2015. What caused this drop and what is the revenue generation situation now?

I will observe right away that the reality is quite different. Indeed, the upward trend in revenues was consolidated in 2016, contrary to the downward trend you are making allusion to. For the right information, the Directorate General of Customs raised revenue to the tune of FCFA 685 billion in 2006 as against FCFA 677 billion in 2015; representing an increase of FCFA 8 billion. Obviously, we could have done better than this good result, if we take into account the outstanding recoverable of some FCFA 10 billion from public administration and some companies. In terms of budgetary performance for the current financial year, in the first quarter of 2017, the Directorate General of Customs has accumulated revenues of FCFA 179,773,800,000 compared to FCFA 176,834,800,000 at the same period in 2016; showing an increase of FCFA 2,939,000,000. As you can see, in spite of the unfavorable environment, we continue to replenish the public coffers to the best of our ability and meet the government’s budgetary expenses. The target of FCFA 800 billion of customs revenue, expected in 2017, remains our priority.

Culled from Cameroon Tribune

Paul Biya appointed on Monday, a new Chairman of the Board of Directors of Camair-Co, the national airline.

Louis Georges Njifendi Kouotou replaced Mefiro Oumarou putting an end to the infighting that rocked the implementation of the recovery plan of the company.

The appointment of the new board chairman came after an extraordinary session of the Board of Directors of Camair-Co, held yesterday in Yaoundé.

By Fru James

Nigeria reopened the capital’s airport in Abuja on Tuesday, officials said, following a six-week closure for runway repairs that disrupted international air traffic to the country. During the shutdown, authorities diverted flights to Kaduna, a provincial airport 160 km away, where carriers including British Airways, Lufthansa and South African Airways refused to land on security grounds.

Ethiopian Airlines was the only foreign carrier to use Kaduna airport during the closure. Other international airlines continued to fly into Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos.  Abuja is the political nerve centre of Africa’s most populous nation and a major business hub in the continent’s biggest economy.

There have been no official estimates of the economic impact of the closure, but Abuja International Airport handled 812 flights in December 2015, the last month for which the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has figures. The comparative figure for Kaduna was 12.

Announcing Abuja airport’s reopening, FAAN spokeswoman Henrietta Yakubu said an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa would land on the renovated runway. FAAN, on its Twitter feed, later said the flight arrived around 12 pm local time. “Abuja runway 100% completed and certified by Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. Consequently the airport is open for operations,” aviation minister Hadi Sirika said in a message posted on Twitter.

Authorities had previously said the airport, which has been closed since March 8, would re-open on Wednesday. “The rehabilitation of the runway was completed 24 hours ahead of schedule,” Yakubu said, adding other airlines’ flights would resume on Wednesday. Repairs to the badly damaged runway, carried out by construction firm Julius Berger, were scheduled after airlines threatened to stop flying to Abuja.

Passengers who landed in Kaduna were transported to the capital on guarded buses along a road where kidnappings have taken place in recent years. The six weeks of transfers passed without incident.  FAAN said 43,000 passengers passed through Kaduna airport in its first 11 days of operation as the alternative to Abuja. About 10,000 passengers used shuttle buses during that period.

Source: Reuters

Two new Boeing A180 aircraft will be acquired by Camair-Co for the purpose of strengthening its fleet. Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o, the Francophone Minister of Transport who has been hiding ever since the Eseka train disaster will today Wednesday in Yaoundé sign a contract with the partners of Cameroon, for the final acquisition of the two new aircraft, as part of the national airline’s recovery plan.

Since its creation, just over six years ago, the Camair-Co has been shaken by corruption, fraud and management problems that have paved the way for negotiations to adopt a recovery plan for the company. The numerous financial scandal that has rocked Camair-Co was debated in National Assembly during the last session.

Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o told parliamentarians that the state was ready to inject 60 billion FCFA for the re-launch of Camair-Co. In recent weeks, the airstrips of the Douala airport have been redesigned in view of the relaunch of the national airlines carrier.

The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres has appointed Vera Songwe to the coveted post of Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). The appointment was made public on Thursday, 13 April 2017.

Prior to the appointment as head of ECA, the 42 year old who hails from the Bamenda province of Southern Cameroons had been Regional Director for the International Finance Corporation for West and Central Africa. The International Finance Corporation is a subsidiary of the World Bank.

By Sama Ernest

Flight schedules to and from the Douala International airport has began witnessing adjustments from since Monday April 10, 2016 following a partial shutdown of its airspace. For 15 days, the airport will be closed to air traffic for four hours daily from 4am to 8am.

The fifteen day period is intended to enable engineers and technicians complete rehabilitation work on the transport space. The Douala airport authorities’ have estimated that during the 15 days of rehabilitation work, close to 60 flights from about 200 destinations will be redirected to Yaoundé or rescheduled.

Prior to the effective start of rehabilitation work, more parking spaces were created for airplanes in other to liberate and clean the runway and other areas that require renovation. Engineers explained the rehabilitation works seeks to upgrade the airports infrastructure to international standards.

All the airlines companies operating in Douala have been informed of the modification, according to sources at the airport. Officials of the Cameroon Airport Authority say adequate measures have been taken to help travelers cope with the current situation.

CRTV

Auditors from the Supreme State Control have descended to the National Social Insurance Fund, CNPS, Cameroon Intelligence Report has learnt from a well-placed source in Yaoundé, the nation’s capital. Rumor had circulated recently about a possible state control of the fund.

Our source hinted that a group of 12 financial experts led by a state inspector visited the CNPS head office in Yaoundé but did not audit the General Manager or any other individual. We gathered the inspectors did examine but the structure and recruitment process of the fund.

Noel Alain Olivier Mekulu Mvondo Akame, the General Manager of the National Social Insurance Fund reportedly informed his staff before the arrival of the audit team and cautioned them to be transparent and to continue working as usual.

The audit was prompted following reports that the organizational chart of the fund was still falling short of  national and international standard. It was revealed that the body still had an accountant whereas the company should be endowed with a Finance Department, in accordance with the provisions of the Inter-African Social Welfare Conference to which Cameroon has adhered.

Cameroon is the only country not respecting this standard. The General Manager promised the inspectors that CNPS was going to comply with the international rules and regulations. Insiders say constant infighting between the GM of the fund and the accountant has often undermined the atmosphere of the body.

The General Manager and the Accountant have been at war ever since (He) Noel Alain Olivier Mekulu was appointed to head the fund. Mekulu and his deputy including his board chairman have been sidelined by the powerful accountant with strong links at the presidency of the republic.

The General Manager of CNPS is entitled to a single vehicle worth 60 million FCFA and 500 liters of fuel per month. The GM is also has a private hotel leased worth CFAF 4.2 million per year and CFAF 900,000 for the monthly payment of invoices. However, Noel Alain Olivier Mekulu Akame ever since his appointment has been denied these privileges and is the least paid general manager in Sub Saharan Africa.

By Sonne Peter