Text of President Biya's End of Year Address

"How come our country, which is well endowed by nature and the climate, which has acknowledged human resources and which enjoys peace and stability, is yet to achieve its economic take-off?"

Fellow Cameroonians,

My dear compatriots,

The year 2006, I believe, has been a good year for Cameroon.

We achieved two of our major objectives.

Indeed, we reached an equitable agreement with Nigeria on the implementation of the ruling of the International Court of Justice concerning our territorial dispute.

Fellow Cameroonians,

My dear compatriots,

The year 2006, I believe, has been a good year for Cameroon.

We achieved two of our major objectives.

Indeed, we reached an equitable agreement with Nigeria on the implementation of the ruling of the International Court of Justice concerning our territorial dispute.

In addition, the IMF and the World Bank acknowledged that our efforts qualified us for the attainment of the completion point of the HIPC Initiative.

In so doing, we created essential conditions for pursuing our development effort and our crusade against poverty, by obtaining guarantees for external security without which progress would be uncertain and by securing the support of the IMF and the World Bank and, through these institutions, that of the international financial community.

Objectively, this to me is a very encouraging outcome.

Let us, together, examine our performance sector by sector, and prospects for the years ahead.

For obvious reasons, we had to give priority to the economy.

First of all, it was necessary to rehabilitate our public finances. To a large extent, this was achieved. It was also necessary to embark on a number of structural reforms and to improve our governance. Some of these measures have been achieved and others are ongoing.

Such are the efforts that enabled us to reach the completion point.  On that occasion, I took the opportunity to draw lessons before you. I underscored that this was a new step towards reviving growth, which is the only way of creating job opportunities and curbing unemployment in a sustainable manner.  And, in general, to ensure the expansion of our economy.

On several occasions, I indicated what should be the main thrusts of government action to achieve these goals. Permit me to recall them briefly.

Our most urgent challenge should be to increase our energy supply in order to meet the increasing needs of the population and the demand of enterprises.

At the same time, we need to develop our basic infrastructure such as roads, railways, port facilities, telephone networks, the Internet, etc. which are indispensable for the advent of our new economy.

In the same vein, our strategic choices should give pride of place, as much as possible, to the processing of our raw materials in order to add value to our exports.

Such an approach should be beneficial, especially for trade within CEMAC, which should, by all means, be stimulated in the interest of regional integration.

Lastly, we will need to improve the business climate by providing economic operators with adequate legal security, fair taxation and better guarantees for investments. Building confidence between the State and the private sector, which could bring about genuine partnership, would be a key factor of growth.

Our enterprises, and especially SMEs and SMIs which represent a considerable part of our economic fabric, are facing enormous difficulties in financing their activities. Our farmers, who make up a significant proportion of our active population, are experiencing similar problems. And what about the thousands and thousands of humble people who only need seed money to start a small business? Solutions tailored to these different categories should be sought from appropriate financial establishments, without ruling out the use of micro-credit, which is thriving in some parts of the world.

Over the past few months, various actions have been undertaken in these major areas in a bid to lift our economy to a higher height, both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Concerning energy, this entails tapping our water and gas resources. There is an urgent need to embark on the construction of new dams and power plants.

As a matter of fact, this additional energy is indispensable for the implementation of our major industrial projects, including increasing our aluminium production, creating a shipbuilding pole, developing a chemical and petrochemical industry, reorganizing the cotton and textile sector, exploiting our mineral ores such as bauxite, iron and cobalt, and of course, without leaving out the plantain conversion programme. Make no mistake; it is indeed a genuine transformation of our industry which may change the face of things in Cameroon.

While focusing on these major projects, we must bear in mind that the goal of economic development remains social progress.

There is no doubt that significant progress has been made in the education and health sectors. Without going into details, I want to recall that new schools have been built and that thousands of teachers have been recruited. This boosted success in schools. Similarly, strong actions undertaken to control tuberculosis and malaria and to halt the spread of AIDS, which were facilitated by improved health coverage, yielded irrefutable results.

Efforts were also made to improve access by the population to drinking water, electricity and housing in urban areas.

I am well aware that these efforts are far from adequate. But this is just the beginning. Indeed, substantial funds from debt cancellation will be primarily allocated to social infrastructure. This should lead to a marked improvement in the living conditions of Cameroonians. I have instructed the government to include this among its priorities.

This covers many aspects of daily life. First, there is the purchasing power, which undoubtedly depends on the level of remuneration. Many households are facing great difficulties in coping with the various family expenses. Where illness or unemployment sets in, the situation becomes dramatic.

Renewed growth, which is imminent, should give us greater leverage to reconsider the issue. Likewise, a more sustained economic activity is likely to positively impact on joblessness by providing new employment opportunities, which the State is striving to foster with its own resources and through the professionalization of education.

By controlling the prices of basic commodities and services, the State is also seeking to forestall unwarranted and speculative price hikes. Measures were recently taken to that end. Others are under consideration.

Improving living conditions also means security in every sense of the word. Organized banditry in our towns and highway robbery in rural areas are still a permanent cause for concern to our people, and more so to our public authorities. Despite the unquestionable achievements of our forces of law and order, the threat looms. We are therefore going to intensify our fight against this scourge by providing additional resources once again and inflicting exemplary punishment on culprits. Furthermore, if the citizenry rallies round the forces of law and order, we can confidently envisage the sustainable eradication of the phenomenon of insecurity.

Our roads are also unsafe. Due to carelessness and recklessness of some drivers and the poor state of vehicles, our roads claim several lives every year.  We cannot afford to continue that way.

As I stated earlier on, the Greentree Agreement concluded with Nigeria has removed an obstacle to our development. I will address this issue on another occasion. The same applies, I believe, to our internal stability. Our institutions are being complemented gradually and are functioning in an exemplary manner. Decentralization is forging ahead and Cameroonians will soon be able to participate more directly in the management of public affairs. The consolidation of the rule of law is being pursued with the adoption of a new Criminal Procedure Code and the restructuring of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms. With a few exceptions, political party activities are being conducted smoothly and freely.

Believe me, this is an exceptional situation. It is quite a rare privilege in our continent. We should, I think, give it due recognition. A few months to major elections, it is vital for each and every one of us, irrespective of our convictions, to maintain this atmosphere of tolerance and dialogue. The Government, for its part, will ensure that the polls are conducted in a calm and transparent manner. That is precisely the intended objective, for the upcoming elections, of the new independent body, known as “Elections Cameroon”, in charge of organizing and supervising elections in our country.

To me, this brief assessment is, on the whole, positive. This is reflected by figures and confirmed by international financial institutions. Should we be satisfied with this?  Without hesitation, my answer is no.  As long as a part of our population is impoverished, equal opportunity is not guaranteed to all citizens, the future of our youth is uncertain, we will not have accomplished our task.

Hence, one question arises. How come our country, which is well endowed by nature and the climate, which has acknowledged human resources and which enjoys peace and stability, is yet to achieve its economic take-off?

We are aware of some of the reasons.

The first stems from inertia in some sectors of our administration. I have often denounced this ill, but it must be admitted that it is still there.

The second is due to corruption, fraud and smuggling which put personal interest before the general interest. Severe punishment has been meted out to curb the scourge, yet, it is still lurking in the dark. We will uncover it.

Lastly, it is unacceptable that funds made available to us under debt cancellation or financial cooperation with our partners are unused or under-used. Such negligence or incompetence is unforgivable, considering that the bulk of these funds is earmarked for the social sectors, notably public health and education.

We must therefore continue to rub salt in the wounds.

I am not pessimistic though, and I am going to tell you why.

Some forty years ago, when we gained independence, the level of development of a number of South-East Asian countries was comparable to ours.

By dint of hard work, progress in education and patriotism, these countries, now known as emerging countries, have rolled back poverty and are about to catch up with the most advanced countries.

While we cannot have the same pretension in the short- or medium-term, nothing prevents us from drawing from their experience. Besides, our foreign partners encourage us to do so. I was able to ascertain this during my recent visits to Europe and Asia. Likewise, the numerous visits by investors who wish to partner with us in their projects are concrete proof of the interest they have in our country. 

Of course, it is our duty to play our own part. This will entail essentially building confidence between the government and our private, national and foreign partners so as to enable them to make long-term commitments. We know the ingredients: honouring commitments, administrative and judicial security, mutual benefits, guarantee of investments and elimination of corruption. 

Fellow Cameroonians,

My dear compatriots,

That is therefore where we stand.

It is incumbent on us to move forward to achieve our common lofty goal.

The government has a road map, which it must implement scrupulously and resolutely.

As it has always done, when the interest of the country is at stake, the National Assembly will support government’s efforts.

Those who sustain our economy, namely people in business, managers of SMEs/SMIs, craftsmen, traders and, of course, farmers, all have a vital role to play.

As for the vast majority of our fellow citizens, irrespective of the occupational or social category to which they belong, workers, retirees, women and the youth, I urge them once more to mobilize so that Cameroon should win this battle in which the very future of our country is at stake. A future of peace, liberty and prosperity.

My dear compatriots,

It is now time for me to extend to each and every one of you my most sincere wishes of health and happiness for the New Year.

Happy New Year 2007!

Long live Cameroon!   

In so doing, we created essential conditions for pursuing our development effort and our crusade against poverty, by obtaining guarantees for external security without which progress would be uncertain and by securing the support of the IMF and the World Bank and, through these institutions, that of the international financial community.

Objectively, this to me is a very encouraging outcome.

Let us, together, examine our performance sector by sector, and prospects for the years ahead.

For obvious reasons, we had to give priority to the economy.

First of all, it was necessary to rehabilitate our public finances. To a large extent, this was achieved. It was also necessary to embark on a number of structural reforms and to improve our governance. Some of these measures have been achieved and others are ongoing.

Such are the efforts that enabled us to reach the completion point.  On that occasion, I took the opportunity to draw lessons before you. I underscored that this was a new step towards reviving growth, which is the only way of creating job opportunities and curbing unemployment in a sustainable manner.  And, in general, to ensure the expansion of our economy.

On several occasions, I indicated what should be the main thrusts of government action to achieve these goals. Permit me to recall them briefly.

Our most urgent challenge should be to increase our energy supply in order to meet the increasing needs of the population and the demand of enterprises.

At the same time, we need to develop our basic infrastructure such as roads, railways, port facilities, telephone networks, the Internet, etc. which are indispensable for the advent of our new economy.

In the same vein, our strategic choices should give pride of place, as much as possible, to the processing of our raw materials in order to add value to our exports.

Such an approach should be beneficial, especially for trade within CEMAC, which should, by all means, be stimulated in the interest of regional integration.

Lastly, we will need to improve the business climate by providing economic operators with adequate legal security, fair taxation and better guarantees for investments. Building confidence between the State and the private sector, which could bring about genuine partnership, would be a key factor of growth.

Our enterprises, and especially SMEs and SMIs which represent a considerable part of our economic fabric, are facing enormous difficulties in financing their activities. Our farmers, who make up a significant proportion of our active population, are experiencing similar problems. And what about the thousands and thousands of humble people who only need seed money to start a small business? Solutions tailored to these different categories should be sought from appropriate financial establishments, without ruling out the use of micro-credit, which is thriving in some parts of the world.

Over the past few months, various actions have been undertaken in these major areas in a bid to lift our economy to a higher height, both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Concerning energy, this entails tapping our water and gas resources. There is an urgent need to embark on the construction of new dams and power plants.

As a matter of fact, this additional energy is indispensable for the implementation of our major industrial projects, including increasing our aluminium production, creating a shipbuilding pole, developing a chemical and petrochemical industry, reorganizing the cotton and textile sector, exploiting our mineral ores such as bauxite, iron and cobalt, and of course, without leaving out the plantain conversion programme. Make no mistake; it is indeed a genuine transformation of our industry which may change the face of things in Cameroon.

While focusing on these major projects, we must bear in mind that the goal of economic development remains social progress.

There is no doubt that significant progress has been made in the education and health sectors. Without going into details, I want to recall that new schools have been built and that thousands of teachers have been recruited. This boosted success in schools. Similarly, strong actions undertaken to control tuberculosis and malaria and to halt the spread of AIDS, which were facilitated by improved health coverage, yielded irrefutable results.

Efforts were also made to improve access by the population to drinking water, electricity and housing in urban areas.

I am well aware that these efforts are far from adequate. But this is just the beginning. Indeed, substantial funds from debt cancellation will be primarily allocated to social infrastructure. This should lead to a marked improvement in the living conditions of Cameroonians. I have instructed the government to include this among its priorities.

This covers many aspects of daily life. First, there is the purchasing power, which undoubtedly depends on the level of remuneration. Many households are facing great difficulties in coping with the various family expenses. Where illness or unemployment sets in, the situation becomes dramatic.

Renewed growth, which is imminent, should give us greater leverage to reconsider the issue. Likewise, a more sustained economic activity is likely to positively impact on joblessness by providing new employment opportunities, which the State is striving to foster with its own resources and through the professionalization of education.

By controlling the prices of basic commodities and services, the State is also seeking to forestall unwarranted and speculative price hikes. Measures were recently taken to that end. Others are under consideration.

Improving living conditions also means security in every sense of the word. Organized banditry in our towns and highway robbery in rural areas are still a permanent cause for concern to our people, and more so to our public authorities. Despite the unquestionable achievements of our forces of law and order, the threat looms. We are therefore going to intensify our fight against this scourge by providing additional resources once again and inflicting exemplary punishment on culprits. Furthermore, if the citizenry rallies round the forces of law and order, we can confidently envisage the sustainable eradication of the phenomenon of insecurity.

Our roads are also unsafe. Due to carelessness and recklessness of some drivers and the poor state of vehicles, our roads claim several lives every year.  We cannot afford to continue that way.

As I stated earlier on, the Greentree Agreement concluded with Nigeria has removed an obstacle to our development. I will address this issue on another occasion. The same applies, I believe, to our internal stability. Our institutions are being complemented gradually and are functioning in an exemplary manner. Decentralization is forging ahead and Cameroonians will soon be able to participate more directly in the management of public affairs. The consolidation of the rule of law is being pursued with the adoption of a new Criminal Procedure Code and the restructuring of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms. With a few exceptions, political party activities are being conducted smoothly and freely.

Believe me, this is an exceptional situation. It is quite a rare privilege in our continent. We should, I think, give it due recognition. A few months to major elections, it is vital for each and every one of us, irrespective of our convictions, to maintain this atmosphere of tolerance and dialogue. The Government, for its part, will ensure that the polls are conducted in a calm and transparent manner. That is precisely the intended objective, for the upcoming elections, of the new independent body, known as “Elections Cameroon”, in charge of organizing and supervising elections in our country.

To me, this brief assessment is, on the whole, positive. This is reflected by figures and confirmed by international financial institutions. Should we be satisfied with this?  Without hesitation, my answer is no.  As long as a part of our population is impoverished, equal opportunity is not guaranteed to all citizens, the future of our youth is uncertain, we will not have accomplished our task.

Hence, one question arises. How come our country, which is well endowed by nature and the climate, which has acknowledged human resources and which enjoys peace and stability, is yet to achieve its economic take-off?

We are aware of some of the reasons.

The first stems from inertia in some sectors of our administration. I have often denounced this ill, but it must be admitted that it is still there.

The second is due to corruption, fraud and smuggling which put personal interest before the general interest. Severe punishment has been meted out to curb the scourge, yet, it is still lurking in the dark. We will uncover it.

Lastly, it is unacceptable that funds made available to us under debt cancellation or financial cooperation with our partners are unused or under-used. Such negligence or incompetence is unforgivable, considering that the bulk of these funds is earmarked for the social sectors, notably public health and education.

We must therefore continue to rub salt in the wounds.

I am not pessimistic though, and I am going to tell you why.

Some forty years ago, when we gained independence, the level of development of a number of South-East Asian countries was comparable to ours.

By dint of hard work, progress in education and patriotism, these countries, now known as emerging countries, have rolled back poverty and are about to catch up with the most advanced countries.

While we cannot have the same pretension in the short- or medium-term, nothing prevents us from drawing from their experience. Besides, our foreign partners encourage us to do so. I was able to ascertain this during my recent visits to Europe and Asia. Likewise, the numerous visits by investors who wish to partner with us in their projects are concrete proof of the interest they have in our country. 

Of course, it is our duty to play our own part. This will entail essentially building confidence between the government and our private, national and foreign partners so as to enable them to make long-term commitments. We know the ingredients: honouring commitments, administrative and judicial security, mutual benefits, guarantee of investments and elimination of corruption. 

Fellow Cameroonians,

My dear compatriots,

That is therefore where we stand.

It is incumbent on us to move forward to achieve our common lofty goal.

The government has a road map, which it must implement scrupulously and resolutely.

As it has always done, when the interest of the country is at stake, the National Assembly will support government’s efforts.

Those who sustain our economy, namely people in business, managers of SMEs/SMIs, craftsmen, traders and, of course, farmers, all have a vital role to play.

As for the vast majority of our fellow citizens, irrespective of the occupational or social category to which they belong, workers, retirees, women and the youth, I urge them once more to mobilize so that Cameroon should win this battle in which the very future of our country is at stake. A future of peace, liberty and prosperity.

My dear compatriots,

It is now time for me to extend to each and every one of you my most sincere wishes of health and happiness for the New Year.

Happy New Year 2007!

Long live Cameroon!   

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