2011 BUDGET: THE CAMEROONIAN YOUTHS MORE FRUSTRATED
By AYAH P. ABINE, MP for Akwaya
1) FUEL IN THE 2011 BUDGET – CODE 612
No | Department | 2010 | 2011 | % |
01 | Presidency | 3.050.000.000 | 3.318.307.000 | +08.79% |
02 | - Attached Services | 167.500.000 | 238.522.000 | +42.40% |
03 | Economic Council | 5.000.000 | 60.000.000 | +1100% |
04 | Prime Minister | 237.046.000 | 232.178.000 | -02.05% |
05 | External Relations | 696.000.000 | 560.239.000 | -19.50% |
06 | Justice | 207.819.000 | 173.859.000 | -16.34% |
07 | Supreme Court | 200.000.000 | 161.000.000 | -19.50% |
08 | 259.500.000 | 312.000.000 | +20.23% | |
09 | National security | 1.693.650.000 | 1.241.652.000 | -16.68% |
10 | Defence | 7.273.400.000 | 8.329.700.000 | +14.52% |
11 | MINATD | 13.028.720.000 | 347.186.000 | -97.34% |
12 | Finance | 1.821.661.000 | 1.316.127.000 | -27.75% |
13 | Economic Planning… | 608.598.000 | 361.929.000 | -40.53% |
14 | Public Service | 93.280.000 | 67.180.000 | -27.98% |
15 | Basic Education | 578.540.000 | 363.374.000 | -38.19% |
16 | Higher Education | 99.686.000 | 58.714.000 | -41.10% |
17 | Scientific Research… | ? | 74.000.000 | |
18 | Secondary Education | 2.053.282.000 | 557.431.000 | -72.85% |
19 | Culture | 141.000.000 | 79.041.000 | -43.94% |
20 | Sports… | 112.930.000 | 68.000.000 | -30.78% |
21 | Communication | 87.800.000 | 60.200.000 | -31.43% |
22 | Youth Affairs | 93.050.000 | 47.700.000 | -48.74% |
23 | Employment… | 66.618.000 | 33.950.000 | -49.04% |
24 | Labour… | 91.444.000 | 80.190.000 | -12.31% |
25 | Social Affairs | 132.650.000 | 49.600.000 | -62.61% |
26 | Women’s Affairs | 146.800.000 | 70.899.000 | -51.70% |
27 | Water and Power | 285.000.000 | 259.000.000 | 09.12% |
28 | Public Works | 1.976.477.000 | 372.000.000 | -81.18% |
29 | State Property… | 129.771.000 | 769.000.000 | +492.58% |
30 | Urban Development | 224.840.000 | 769.000.000 | +242.02% |
31 | Post… | 286.400.000 | 202.100.000 | -29.43% |
32 | Transport | 443.958.000 | 60.220.000 | -86.43% |
33 | State Intervention | 110.000.000 | 110.000.000 | 0% |
34 | Common Expenditure | 1.119.000.000 | 1.129.000.000 | +17.87% |
35 | Public Health | 1.035.417.000 | 525.650.000 | -49.23% |
36 | Commerce | 260.000.000 | 145.000.000 | -44.23% |
37 | Tourism | 198.402.000 | 123.352.000 | -37.83% |
38 | Environment… | 278.150.000 | 273.819.000 | -01.56% |
39 | Industries… | 182.500.000 | 205.500.000 | +12.60% |
40 | Agriculture… | 1.250.327.000 | 1.107.656.000 | -11.41% |
41 | Livestock… | 118.762.000 | 129.762.000 | +09.26% |
42 | Forestry… | 943.500.000 | 1.000.500.000 | +08.81% |
43 | Small/Medium… | 229.500.000 | 197.000.000 | -14.16% |
44 | 40.892.710.000 | 25.641.537.000 | -37.3% |
2) BEYOND COMPREHENSION!
No | Department | 2010 | 2011 | % |
01 | SG Presidency | 782.500.000 | 922.513.000 | +17.89% |
02 | Economic…Council | 5.000.000 | 60.000.000 | +1100% |
03 | Min. Defence | 7.273.400.000 | 8.329.700.000 | +14.52% |
04 | MINATD | 13.028.720.000 | 347.186.000 | -97.34% |
05 | Secondary Education | 2.053.282.000 | 557.431.000 | -72.85% |
06 | Min. Public Works | 1.976.477.000 | 372.000.000 | -81.18% |
07 | Min. Public Health | 1.035.417.000 | 525.650.000 | -49.23% |
08 | 129.771.000 | 769.000.000 | +492.58% | |
09 | Urban Development | 224.840.000 | 769.000.000 | +242.02% |
03) MISSION ALLOWANCE – 2011 BUDGET – COEDE 617
No | Department | 2010 | 2011 | % |
01 | Presidency | 8.270.752.000 | 8.695.833.000 | +05.14% |
02 | - Attached Services | 857.081.000 | 857.081.000 | 0 |
03 | Economic...Council | 120.000.000 | 291.000.000 | +142.50% |
04 | Prime Minister | 1.602.953.000 | 1.510.599.000 | -05.76% |
05 | External Relations | 2.200.264.000 | 1.379.838.000 | -37.29% |
06 | Justice + | 837.841.000 | 764.200.000 | -08.79% |
07 | 1.186.500.000 | 673.500.000 | -43.24% | |
08 | National security | 1.270.432.000 | 1.253.932.000 | -01.30% |
09 | Defence | 1.830.000.000 | 8.329.700.000 | +355.17% |
10 | MINATD | 885.326.000 | 578.825.000 | -34.62% |
11 | Finance | 3.682.276.000 | 1.842.941.000 | -49.95% |
12 | Economic Planning… | 1.853.600.000 | 1.007.881.000 | -45.63% |
13 | Public Service | 293.565.000 | 212.015.000 | -27.78% |
14 | Basic Education | 2.862.151.000 | 1.729.718.000 | -39.56% |
15 | Higher Education | 906.384.000 | 398.275.000 | -56.10% |
16 | Scientific Research… | 494.500.000 | 309.000.000 | -37.51% |
17 | Secondary Education | 5.009.972.000 | 1.610.650.000 | -67.85% |
18 | Culture | 712.709.000 | 454.700.000 | -36.20% |
19 | Sports… | 8.558.843.000 | 3.630.566.000 | -57.58% |
20 | Communication | 1.602.953.000 | 228.200.000 | -85.76% |
21 | Youth Affairs | 2.200.264.000 | 582.900.000 | -73.51% |
22 | Employment… | 837.841.000 | 278.468.000 | -66.76% |
23 | Labour… | 1.186.500.000 | 369.109.000 | -68.89% |
24 | Social Affairs | 1.270.432.000 | 282.270.000 | -77.78% |
25 | Women’s Affairs | 1.830.000.000 | 339.326.000 | -81.46% |
26 | Water and Power | 712.709.000 | 420.250.000 | -41.03% |
27 | Public Works | 2.608.544.000 | 665.000.000 | -74.51% |
28 | State Property… | 689.484.000 | 1.030.360.000 | +33.08% |
29 | Urban Development | 394.140.000 | 1.030.360.000 | +61.74% |
30 | Post… | 532.600.000 | 207.200.000 | -61.10% |
31 | Transport | 973.347.000 | 343.859.000 | -64.67% |
32 | State Intervention | 145.000.000 | 145.000.000 | 0% |
33 | Common Expenditure | 3.874.155.000 | 3.874.155.000 | 0% |
34 | Public Health | 2.340.277.000 | 1.374.006.000 | -41.29% |
35 | Commerce | 856.050.000 | 587.500.000 | -31.37% |
36 | Tourism | 370.227.000 | 255.529.000 | -30.98% |
37 | Environment… | 638.477.000 | 635.165.000 | -00.52% |
38 | Industries… | 463.000.000 | 467.000.000 | +00.86% |
39 | Agriculture… | 2.237.197.000 | 1.817.564.000 | -18.76% |
40 | Livestock… | 582.381.000 | 578.937.000 | -00.59% |
41 | Forestry… | 1.245.100.000 | 1.475.100.000 | +18.47% |
42 | Small/Medium… | 661.000.000 | 532.200.000 | -19.49% |
43 | 70.446.327.000 | 53.049.712.000 | -24.69% |
Hon Ayah Paul Abine pointed out last year that by cutting appropriations for fuel in the 2010 budget by half and appropriations for mission allowances by a third, enough money would be saved to employ 3.400 youths at 100.000 francs each per month for ten years. He further argued that the savings could in the alternative enable the construction of 8.000 kilometers of earth roads at 5.000.000 francs per kilometer. The Cameroonian authorities who are hyper-susceptible to criticisms were so stunned that the President of the National Assembly unlawfully bereft Ayah of his parliamentary right to address the House on those lines.
But Ayah has apparently been vindicated as allocations for fuel in the 2011 budget are down by some 37% ( not too far from the 50% advocated for by Ayah); and those for mission allowances are reduced by almost 25% which is equally close to the 33% targeted by Ayah. The appropriation figures presented by the Government however are but hard facts that the reductions are a right step in the wrong direction.
To begin with, the reductions are done in such an arbitrary manner that while some ministries have suffered cuts of as much as upwards of 90%, others have gained increase of over 1.000%. For instance, fuel allocation for the Economic and Social Council that seems to be working at a tantalizing celestial plane soared from 5.000.000 in 2010 to an astronomical and staggering amount of 60.000.000 – (1.100%). Contrastingly, fuel allocation for the busy Ministry of Secondary Education is down by 72%.
Harder even to imagine is the increase in the allocation for fuel for the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic. From over 782.000.000, meaning that the Secretary General bought fuel for more than 2.100.000 francs every single day of his life in 2010, the appropriation for 2011 has risen to over 922.000.000. In practical terms, the Secretary General shall in 2011 buy fuel for over 2.500.000 francs every one day; that is to say, buying fuel even on Sundays and on public holidays. Economists and moralists may wish to tell the laymen that we are whether this is extravagance or ostentations! Such intervention would be most salutary at a time that the ordinary Cameroonian village woman is unable to buy a daily magi cube of 10 francs for her survival.
That aside, the analysis of the allocations for mission allowances is not any more equitable or comprehensible. While allocations for the ministries of Communication and Social Affairs have dropped by 85% and 77% respectively, those for the Defence and State Property have risen by 335% and 61%. It is all the more curious that allocations for fuel and mission allowances for the Ministry of Public Health should suffer substantial cuts even in the face of the most serious cholera breakout the fatherland has known for decades. Nor can we the ordinary Cameroonians understand why the Ministry of Public Works, which is the backbone of development, should lose nearly half of its allocations for fuel and mission allowances!
What is real though is that total cuts in the two budgetary heads amount to 32.647.788.000. That amount can build 6.500 kilometers of earth roads at 5.000.000 francs per kilometer as cost of construction. One would have liked to think that 2011 being an election year, the official calculation would be to put sustained efforts on road infrastructure. That implies empowering the Ministry of Public Works with the provision of sufficient allocations for fuel and mission allowances to ease their movements for the supervision of works on the roads. But as in Cameroon
Yet, we who take an interest in the youths that are the Cameroon
Noteworthy first of all is the fact that not a single ministry bringing up youths or dealing with matters appealing to or touching the youths has suffered anything less than drastic cuts. The Ministry of Higher Education has lost 41% and 56% of its allocations for fuel and mission allowances; the Ministry of Secondary Education: 72% and 67% similarly; the Ministry of Basic Education: 38% and 39%; the Ministry of Youth Affairs: 48% and 73%; and the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education: 30% and 57%. Those figures are telling most clearly that the youths will get frustrated all the more! Could someone be courageous enough to say that even the blind can see the point?
May we permit ourselves to argue that, as the cuts are apparently consequent on Ayah’s opinion, something dramatic ought necessarily to be done for the youths! To identify with Ayah’s original contention, the total cuts would create jobs for more than 2.700 youths at 100.000 francs each per month for ten years. If the cuts were maintained, youth unemployment would be history in less than five years’ time. That would give more meaning to the dated slogan that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow!
But curiously, the opposite is true! We take the liberty to illustrate our view with concrete examples. Some two mysterious bodies – State Interventions and “Common” Expenditure – enshrouded in the opaque management of State revenue, have their allocations for fuel and mission allowances either maintained at the 2010 level or increased. The figures themselves should tell the story! State Intervention: 110.000.000 and 145.000.000; “Common” Expenditure: 1.129.000.000 and 3.874.155.000 francs. Could some volunteer expert tell us what these two lions are, and their absolute relevance? More than a big joke, isn’t it?
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