Cameroon - The African Development Bank, AfDB Group and the World Bank offices in Yaounde begin meeting today Tuesday July 5 for a review of their operations in Cameroon. The meeting will evaluate the level of implementation and impacts of their financial assistance programmes. Sources at the AfDB's office in Yaounde, say for close to 40 years the bank has maintained cooperation ties with Cameroon as a strategic partner in view of promoting development. The bank has made major investments in the country, following the strategic thrust of government's development agenda. Since initiating operations in Cameroon in 1972 up to February 2010, the bank has, apart from multinational projects, approved a total of 71 operations in multi-sector institutional support, agriculture, social programmes, transport, public utilities and private sector development. Given the importance and volume of its activities, the bank decided to open a regional office in Yaounde in 2007, covering Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

"Previous Bank Group strategies in Cameroon contributed to the country's attainment of the completion point of the Highly Indebted and Poor Countries, HIPC, initiative in 2006, and in continuation of reforms relating to public expenditure management, corruption control, consolidation of the rule of law and structural reforms," says Donald Kaberuka, President of the AfDB.

AfDB's intervention also helped in creating the conditions for improved access to potable water and sanitation as well as the expansion of the country's road network to enhance regional integration and strengthen Cameroon's position as a business hub in the sub-region.

While waiting for details on these projects during the meeting, the AfDB will also use the occasion to expound on the orientations, financial package and level of implementation of its new strategy for Cameroon for the 2010-2014 period.

During this period, AfDB seeks to consolidate its achievements and focus on two priority areas namely; building the country's strategic management capacity for public service delivery and improving the business environment, as well as strengthening Cameroon's strategic position in Central Africa.

The country office of the World Bank is taking the exercise seriously. As of June 2011, sources say, the World Bank had disbursed funding for a multitude of projects in its regular portfolio; particularly in education, environment, urban development, energy, health, transport, agricultural competitiveness and sanitation.

The review ends on Wednesday July 13 and both institutions are expected to release information on their past, present and future operations in Cameroon.

George Mbella

Cameroon Tribune/05/07/2011