CI-NEWS

Rekindling hope in the PPP.

2019-09-10

No: 446

Rekindling hope in the PPP.

At last, some seriousness seems to be coming out of the much-talked-of Public-Private sector partnership. A number of projects have been put on scale and earmarked for execution within the framework of the PPP (Public-Private sector Partnership) with the support of the World Bank. This is breaking news coming out from the meeting that took place in Yaounde on 5 September to examine the 21 projects proposed by the Canadian consultancy firm, Canadian Pacific Consulting Services. The projects fall under four main sectors; transportation, urbanization, industrialization and agriculture, livestock and fisheries; in effect, the identification of these projects is just part of the whole programme set up within the framework of the strategic plan to develop the PPP in order to ensure effective takeoff and functioning. Other components include; reinforcing the legal and regulatory framework and capacity building of the private sector to render it more performing.

This is surely an important stage in the implementation of the PPP which rekindles hopes of taking the programme to a higher level. The Public-Private sector Partnership constitutes an important element in the implementation of the first part of the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP). To say the least, achieving the objective set in the GESP was conceived to be a collective responsibility with both the government and the private sector taking the lead. The private sector in most if not all economies plays a pivotal role in project execution. The level of development of a country equally reflects the capacity of the country’s private sector. Many are of the opinion that the private sector in Cameroon is either weak, weakened or stifled. Part of the blame, some believe, goes to the public sector which is expected to ease issues and facilitate the growth of the sector.

Talk of private sector enterprises in Cameroon and minds will run to structures in which one finds inefficiency, lack of seriousness and lack of operating capital among others. These are some of the flaws that have been blocking their participation in the development process. Even as projects are being identified targeting their participation in their execution, care needs to be taken in choosing which enterprise is capable of handling which project. The inefficiency of Cameroonian private companies is readily seen in the road infrastructure sector where over 90 percent of the projects are in the hands of foreign companies. As the ground is being prepared for the World Bank to support enterprises in the execution of the various projects streamlined, it is important for Cameroonian companies to build up their capacities and take up the challenge.

Culled from Cameroon Tribune.

A PHP Error was encountered

A PHP Error was encountered

Rekindling hope in the PPP.