CI-NEWS

Increased family allowances applauded

2020-05-12

No: 495

Increased family allowances applauded.

Some inhabitants of Yaounde have been applauding the recent move to increase family allowances from FCFA 2,800 to FCFA 4,500. The step is part of palliative measures unveiled last Thursday, April 30, 2020, to keep private firms from folding up.

Noel Alain Olivier Mekulu Mvondo Akame, CNPS GM who is a great manager, seems to have been consulted by government in drafting some of these palliative measures which will also see companies spread out payment of social security contributions for the months of April, May and June 2020 over three months, upon reasoned request and get no penalties for late payment of social insurance contributions due the CNPS, upon reasoned request.

Also there will be suspension of on-site inspections by the CNPS for April, May and June 2020.

The 17 the measure: “the maintenance, for the next three months, that is from May to July, of the payment of family allowances to staff of companies which are unable to pay social security contributions or which have placed their staff on technical leave because of the economic downturn, particularly in the catering, hotel and transport sectors”, is also thanks to the expertise of CNPS boss. Thanks to transparent and rigid management, Mekulu Mvondo Akame has been able to save a lot of money that can be withdrawn for such sacrifices.

The other points include the suspension of bans on hotels, bars, nightclubs and restaurants after 6pm. The reduction of the number of passengers transported by public operators has also been cancelled. This was immediately followed by aneffervescence in activities at the Tropicana neighbourhood in Yaounde.

Away from the business domain, the increase in family allowances benefits workers of both the public and private sector. Williams Tanga, a worker with a Non-Governmental Organisation, said the move is a good step taken by the government. He said the decision would facilitate the increase of family income and standards of living, thus stepping down poverty levels. This is however limited, Williams said. According to him, poor unemployed Cameroonians will not benefit from this special gesture. He rather thinks a drop in the prices of basic commodities like rice, fish, water and electricity would immediately be felt across the different strata of the population. Another worker who preferred not to be named didn’t sound excited by the decision as her employer had already put her on a list of persons to go for a three-month layoff.

The impact of the current outbreak was already felt in the markets. Some buyers have confirmed that prices of some basic commodities had already been increased. However, Anti-Fraud Brigade officials from the Ministry of Trade have been on the move, criss-crossing markets to ensure that homologated prices are respected to the latter.

An increase in family allowances, economist say, will enable citizens to make ends meet this time, with reduced effort.

Culled from Cameroon Insider

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Increased family allowances applauded