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The bills are expected to spur economic growth. The First Ordinary Session of Parliament, which started on March 10, 2016, wraps up today April 8, 2016, with a total of six bills adopted. Members of the Senate and the National Assembly can beat their chests for a successful session that saw the adoption of bills concerning mostly the economy, trade and tourism. One of the bills is to authorize the President of the Republic to ratify the Agreement on Trade Facilitation concluded on December 7, 2013, in Bali, Indonesia, during the 9th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The bill aims at easing border procedures of member States so as to facilitate import and export operations. Members of both Houses also adopted the bill regulating external trade in Cameroon during the one-month long session. The bill seeks to spur economic growth by adopting the principle of freedom to import or export, subject to some restrictions. The explanatory statement also indicates that the bill will protect domestic production by combating unfair trade practices such as dumping. Another bill that saw the approval of parliament is that to ratify the 23 December 2015 Ordinance to amend and supplement some provisions of the 16 December 2013 Law governing Economic Zones in Cameroon.

The purpose of the ordinance was to extend by a three-year transitional period for enterprises formally registered under industrial free zone regime to be transferred to economic zone regime. The tourism sector will henceforth receive a boost following the adoption of a bill on tourism and leisure activities in Cameroon. The bill, which seeks to correct shortfalls of the 1998 Law will ease conditions for carrying out tourist activities and identify measures aimed at controlling clandestine activities, amongst others.

As for the bill to amend and supplement some provisions of the 2015 Finance Law, it emerged that it was necessitated by certain events such as the renewal of licenses of two mobile telephone companies which generated more revenue, the restructuring of the National Refining Company (SONARA), the start of Three- Emergency Plan and 2016/2019 African Cup of Nations preparations. All these had a bearing on the initial 2015 State budget. The African Charter bill on Statistics also adopted underscores statistics as an indispensable tool for decision-making process.

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Cameroon Tribune

08.Apr.2016

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This is the Calendar for the 2016 Competitive entrance examinations launched by the University of Bamenda

Friday 8th July 2016: First Cycle of the Higher Teachers Training College (ENS) Bambili

Saturday 9th July 2016: Second Cycle of the Higher Teachers Training College (ENS) Bambili

Friday 20th July 2016: First year of the second Cycle of the Higher Technical Teachers Training College (ENSET) Bambili 

Saturday 20th August 2016: First year of the First Cycle of the Higher Technical Teachers Training College (ENSET) Bambili

Sunday 21st August 2016: First Cycle of the Higher Technical Teachers Training College (ENSET) Bambili

Sunday 21st August 2016: entry into the third year of the first Cycle of the Higher Technical Teachers Training College (ENSET) Bambili of the University of Bamenda

Thursday 29th – 30th September 2016: The first year of the Nursing and Medical Laboratory Sciences of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Bamenda

Friday 9th September 2016: The first year of Higher Institute of Commerce and Management (HICM) Saturday 10th September 2016: the first year of the Higher Institute of Transport (HITL) of the University of Bamenda

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Cham Victor Bama

05.Apr.2016

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During a plenary sitting of the national assembly chaired by Speaker Cavaye Yeguie Djibril on April 1, 2016, Hon. Awudu Mbaya questioned Cameroon's Minister of Communications Issa Tchiroma on why all major headlines in the state owned Newspaper Cameroon Tribune were in French. "Depriving a people of information is a crime against humanity," he declared.

In his response, Communication Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary first historically situated the genesis of the English and French versions of Cameroon Tribune and explained that the economic crisis of the 80s, the 1994 devaluation CFA Franc and the ensuing corporate restructuring were behind the decision by its publisher, Cameroon News and Publishing Corporation (SOPECAM) in 1995, to produce only one bilingual edition.

He further stated that although the economic situation has improved with Cameroon Tribune regaining its aura as a reference news source in Africa, the newspaper sector has evolved and now marked by a competitive environment, the rapid development of Information and Communication Technologies and the Internet, making it difficult for newspapers to exist. "It is necessary to grant subsidy to ensure the profitability of a bilingual daily and seek resources to ensure its sustenance,"

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Rita Akana

04.Apr.2016

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Six of the ten Chinese language teachers from the University of Maroua (Uma) have reportedly left the establishment on March 26, 2016 putting some 300 students including more than 250 in the faculty of humanities and about 90 at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in disarray (ENS).

The Chinese made it public that their departure was based on the dangerous security situation in the Far North region of the country. Maroua has been classified by the Chinese Foreign Ministry a red zone of insecurity. 

The rector of the university, Prof Oben Ako Edward hinted that these teachers will reconsider their decision and make a comeback.

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Elangwe Pauline

04.Apr.2016

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The community of Menkia-Nwametaw in Alou Sub-division, Lebialem had never had good potable drinking water. The inhabitants of Alou have often had to indulge in huge financial engagements to battle between bad drinking water and poor health caused by a nearby stream which to them have been the sole source of drinking water in the village for centuries.  The over 1500 residents  of MENKIA-NWAMETAW  expressed joy that life was now restored on Thursday the 31^st of  March 2016 during the handing over ceremony of the MENKIA-NWAMETAW Water Scheme constructed by the South West Development Authority, SOWEDA.

Cameroon Concord’s Cham Victor  Bama who traveled to Alou for the ceremony reported that only tears shed during the ceremony could describe how the community had been in desperate need of the precious liquid. At long last, the MENKIA-NWAMETAW community can now boost of potable drinking water. Six stand taps have been constructed across the village by the South West Development Authority. 

The Menkia Water Scheme has  a constructed stream catchment  with supply and distribution pipelines.  In the treatment station is an up flow roughing filter, slow sand filter and a storage tank. Low and high point chambers, stand pipes and valve chambers have been adequately constructed and equipped to fit the standard of the water supply system. A 5 cubic metres break pressure and storage tank shave been manned in the structure. The MENKIA-NWAMETAW water scheme have cost the South West Development Authority over 19 million francs.

A committee headed by the chairman of the Menkia village council, Tamochop Sylvester  was  mandated to judiciously enable and oversee the sustainable management of the 5 cubic meters  water catchment including the 6 cubic meters storage tank. Tamochop Sylvester  and the National President  of the Menkia Cultural and Development Association, Ndi Nkemafor Philip , expressed great satisfaction to SOWEDA for answering one of the greatest worries faced by the community.  The traditional ruler of Menkia HRM Ndi Nkemlebe Christopher observed that the SOWEDA funded water project was a time health bomb server that would transform the future of his community forever. Said His Royal Highness Ndi Nkemlebe, “The days of Typhoid and Cholera are over”.

The General Manager of SOWEDA was represented in the ceremony by SOWEDA’s  Ashu Stephen.The Menkia-Nwa is one among the numerous water supply schemes under taken by the South West Development Authority across some local communities in the South West Region.

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Cham Victor Bama in Alou, Lebialem

04.Apr.2016

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A delegation of 100 MPs led by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Honourable Cavaye Yeguie Djibril have began a 3 day visit in the West Region. The MPs who recently demanded new vehicles from the CPDM regime arrived the West yesterday the 30th of March 2016. Cameroon Concord learnt the delegation of MPs reportedly members of a youth parliamentary network, made a stop at the University of Dschang and held a talk with students of the Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences. 

The MPs pretentiously re-echoed President Paul Biya’s message on going back to agriculture to the students. Speaker Cavaye Yeguieu Djibril who is yet to contribute an iota of development to his Boko Haram infested Far North constituency, lauded the students for choosing a fruitful field that is capable of creating more jobs in the country.

After having toured some experimental Farms created by the students, Honourable Cavaye Yeguieu Djilbril promised an incubator and other advanced farming equipment for the over 2000 students. The House Speaker will today Thursday 31st March 2016 Launch the Training Program of Youths in the Agro pastoral field.

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Ebong Peter with files from CRTV

31.Mar.2016

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