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The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications knows what Cameroon will look like by 2020 with the implementation of the National Strategy Plan for Digital Economy. Government wants to revolutionalize the telecoms sector and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and other ministries are determined to transform the vision into reality. The latest update on the project is the drawing up of a National Strategy Plan, which according to experts, hinges on over 100 aspects and evaluated at over FCFA 600 billion. The plan was proposed in May this year and later endorsed by government, it was revealed.

The Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng, assembled officials of central and devolved services of his ministry on Friday August 26, 2016 to issue guidelines on the effective implementation of the plan. The Minister stressed that government is committed to improving telecoms services and this must be taken seriously by public and private operators. The National Strategy Plan to fully develop the digital economy in Cameroon can only work if appropriate infrastructure is put in place, she stressed. “It is time to upgrade our equipment and offer better and innovative services to Cameroonians. It is therefore imperative to be results-oriented in all modernization projects,” she told aides.

Issues like adequate training for actors, content, respecting norms, the law and regulatory frameworks, as well as terms of references by all, especially operators and regularly controlling telecoms infrastructure, are priority, the Inspector General in charge of Technical Matters, Pierre Kaptue explained. He said estimates for the plan were put at FCFA 600 billion, though studies were underway for the exact cost and implementation strategies.

Responding to worries from regional delegates on some of the challenges facing their daily activities like the dysfunctional telecentres, the Minister announced a forensic audit as part of efforts to cleanse the sector. The Minister invited all staff to remain diligent, committed and result-based. Digital economy refers to an economy that is based on digital computing technologies. It is equally called internet economy.

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Rita Akana

29.Aug.2016

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The installation ceremony took place this 23rd August 2016 just after the first Board meeting of the Kribi Deep Seaport.

Simo Djonou Jean Paul is the first Board Chair, Melom Patrice Bathelemy the first Director General and Bako Arouna the first Deputy Director General of the Kribi Deep Seaport. 

The three officials have been Challenged to make the port go operational immediately, facilitate commercial exchanges by reducing cost and delays, making it a reference in the Central African Sub-Region, and the Gulf of Guinea.

51year old Simo Djonou Jean Paul before his appointment as Board Chair was a senior state official who served at the General secretariat of the Presidency; Melom Patrice Bathelemy - 55 year old and statistical engineer, who served 2012 as the coordinator of the operational unit of the Kribi deep Seaport, and the Deputy Director General Bako Arouna - 55year old is a renown Magistrate, who until his appointment was Procureur General of the Court of Appeal in the West Region.

CRTV

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Rita Akana

26.Aug.2016

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The Social Security and National Insurance Fund (CNPS in French) announces that it has registered 111,812 voluntary contributors as at 30 June 2016. For the purpose of increasing the coverage rate in this contributor’s category, the Managing Director (MD) of this state institution, Alain Olivier Noël Mekulou Mvondo Akam, indicated during a meeting with his personnel that it will be necessary to “add a marketing module”.

The idea, according to the MD is to inform the populations through push SMS, already being prepared by the Information Systems department. Moreover, he directed the local managers towards partner microfinance establishments such as Express Exchange, Renaprov, Comeci or Unics, who deal directly with the populations benefiting from the voluntary insurance. Which will facilitate not only direct access to the target population, but also the payment of their contributions.

The MD of CNPS also invited his colleagues to “focus on workers in the informal sector and rural areas”, after discussions with self-employed workers. Secular arm of the Cameroonian State in terms of social security, it was on 1 December 2014 that this fund launched the registration of self-employed contributors in all its centres throughout the country.

BIC

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Rita Akana

25.Aug.2016

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Former Coordinator of the steering and monitoring committee of development of the industrial port complex of Kribi (CIPK),Patrice Melom, has been appointed Managing Director of this complex, on 23 August 2016 at the end of a Board meeting held in Yaoundé.

His deputy will be the 4^th grade Magistrate Harouna Bako. Jean Paul Simo Njonou, for his part, has been appointed President of the Board. He is also a member of the Electricity Development Corporation Board (EDC). The three were the very first top management team of CIPK since it awaits the start of its operations.  

The industrial port complex of Kribi covers an area of 26,300 ha and borders the Cameroonian coastline over 20 km. It has 4 integrated components. These are the logistics and industrial activity area, the residential area, port facilities and the multimodal corridor. These latter two components will facilitate Cameroon’s integration in the sub-regional area through inter-states sea, road and railway transport streams.

BIC

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Rita Akana

24.Aug.2016

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The current Director General of Emirates Airlines in Zimbabwe has been appointed to head Cameroon airlines (Camair-Co) at the end of an extraordinary board meeting held in Douala on August 22, 2016.

He takes over as Director General from Paul Nana Sandjo who held the position for barely two years. 

Meanwhile, Mefiro Oumarou, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Transport, was appointed chairman of the board of directors. He replaces Edouard Akame Mfoumou.

The changes at the head of Camair-co, comes after the approval of the new company recovery plan proposed by Boeing to the State of Cameroon ,which was approved by President Paul Biya.

Ernest Dikoum takes over as the sixth DG of Camair-co, in its 10 years of existence.

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Glory Agwetang

22.Aug.2016

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The National Institute of Statistics (INS) indicates that the final consumer prices for households increased by 1.3% during this first half of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015. The increase was of 3.4% a year ago.

Geographically speaking, consumer prices increased in every city during the past twelve months. The city of Buéa registered the highest price increase (3.1%) followed by Bamenda (2.7%), Bafoussam (2.0%), Ngaoundéré (1.9%) and Ebolowa (1.7%). The towns of Maroua (0.3%) and Bertoua (0.1%) had the lowest rates.  

The increase in the general price level during the past twelve months is due in major part to the hike in the prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco (7.4%), restaurant and hotel services (4.9%) and foodstuff and non-alcoholic beverages (2.1%). Beer prices increased by FCfa 50 to 100, breweries thus passing on the excise tax on alcoholic beverages introduced in the 2015 Finance Bill. The increase in service prices for restaurants and hotels worsened with these increases in industrial beer prices.

BIC

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Rita Akana

22.Aug.2016

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