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00:00 [Music]
00:15 Commuters in Cameroon now pay much higher for taxis as government signs a decision increasing taxi fares by at least 50 CFE francs and 100 CFE francs for a drop at night.
00:30 [Music]
00:55 [Music]
01:03 Hello everyone and thanks for joining us on the 730 news. I am Ben Menopufo.
01:09 It is now official commuters in urban and peri-urban settings in Cameroon will henceforth pay more for their daily taxi fares. A decision by the country's Minister of Trade has raised drops per day to at least 50 CFE francs and 100 CFE francs per night depending on the distance to cover.
01:34 The new rates have already been incorporated by several Yaounde city dwellers while most of them are saying it was a decision that was predictable.
01:46 Alphonse Abongwa Achu followed a cab driver less than 24 hours after the measure was announced to find out how effective it is playing out in the capital city.
01:59 The old is gone and the new has come but old habits have not yet given way to the new tariffs in the urban transport sector in Yaounde.
02:09 [Music]
02:12 No sir, it's 350 francs but the driver says many a passenger who claimed not to be aware of this slight increase today got the benefit of the doubt.
02:24 There are some who pay 350 francs while others say they don't have but we try to agree.
02:31 Another aching issue, there will be need for coins to address the difference after payment.
02:37 I think the taxi driver should make efforts to find coins for change. If we have 500 francs, will you not cheat me with 150 francs?
02:51 To some of these passengers, this modification in tariffs was predictable and everyone should conform.
03:00 Since the New Year speech of the President of the Republic, we knew fuel prices will increase and eventually, taxi tariffs.
03:09 For me, it is becoming like a habit because when it was a long distance, I used to pay 400 francs when I am in a hurry. But today at 350 francs, I feel like I'm gaining 100 francs on the normal tariff.
03:26 Since I changed the tariff, it's working gradually. Anyone who argues, I show them the new tariff.
03:33 It is a new leaf that thus turns on the urban transport sector and like every innovation, city dwellers will adapt progressively.
03:43 A consortium of investors currently visiting in the country says it is interested in investing in the water and road sectors to support Cameroon's drive towards economic development.
03:58 The consortium led by Senegalese-born Papad Baidio held talks this afternoon to this effect with the Prime Minister Head of Government Joseph Diongute at the Star Building,
04:10 expressing their willingness to participate in executing some of the country's priority projects.
04:18 Christian Cheyattam reports from the Star Building.
04:24 The group of 12 are members of different enterprises engaged in a wide range of economic and investment activities.
04:31 They are in the first day of their prospection mission to Cameroon and have already met with a number of officials and stakeholders of the business sector.
04:39 During the audience, the head of the delegation, Senegalese-born Papad Baidio, expressed thanks to the Prime Minister of Government Joseph Diongute
04:48 and said they have already established contacts and are interested in a number of projects under the Presidential Plan for the Far North and under the National Development Strategy, S&T 30.
04:58 We're hoping to invest in Cameroon with the partnership and we're glad that things went through.
05:04 The interaction was positive and we are hoping that a lot of signings will be done.
05:12 The members of the business delegation are in Cameroon to take part in a roundtable organised by the government to present the different opportunities the country offers
05:20 within the framework of the National Development Strategy, whose implementation will require about 88,000 billion francs.
05:27 The Prime Minister Head of Government Joseph Diongute reassured the potential investors that Cameroon is a credible destination with solid incentives for investment
05:37 and will be happy to have all potential investors on board.
05:41 It is one of the most teething challenges in Cameroon today, that of having a roof over one's head or even owning a house in the major cities of the country.
05:53 It is the dream of many a Cameroonian to live in a decent house, that is, if they can't build one for themselves.
06:02 But the obstacles to overcome to make this dream come true are manifold, ranging from prohibitive cost of land to the non-availability of the finances to as well as the high cost of building materials.
06:17 Cynthia Saptala has been keen on some of the obstacles that stand in the way of prospective tenants and house owners in Cameroon and says they are such that cause these dreams to fade away.
06:34 Could this be your dream home? A duplex house on 250 metres square?
06:40 A house like that is about 30 million.
06:45 Or this beautiful but modern bungalow on 100 metres square?
06:49 A simple house with the finishing done is about 50 million.
06:54 Colossal amounts that would frighten the average Cameroonian, but experts explain the construction process has a price at each stage, from purchasing the land, preparing the site, foundations, raising the walls, putting the roof and windows, and the list continues.
07:10 You need a topographic plan, architectural designs, and all of that has a cost.
07:17 For those who embark on this journey, the first obstacles to overcome is finding the land and the means to build, or the later, before the farmer.
07:26 The first option is to buy the land who has a land title.
07:32 The second option is to buy land from the traditional owner. The risk is you can lose your money.
07:41 From there, the site manager provides the list of building materials required for the job, the bags of cement, sand, gravel and more.
07:49 Building materials are expensive now. Ten years ago, a bag of cement was 4,600 francs.
07:57 Now it's more than 5,000 francs. Same for workers. At first, construction workers were paid 2,000 francs. Now it's no longer that.
08:08 Homeowners state that it is impossible to succeed in this venture without taking a loan either from a savings scheme or from the bank, and there too, there are criteria to fulfill.
08:19 You must have a job or an activity. You must have worked for at least two years. You must not be here close to retirement.
08:28 And another thing is to have a land, a land with a land title.
08:33 Even those in the business world who do not have a job but have something concrete they are doing as business, they too can always have a loan.
08:41 These are obstacles that many city dwellers describe as overwhelming in the beginning but rewarding at the end when one becomes a homeowner.
08:50 Down in the south regional capital of Bulova, 100 low-cost houses constructed there to ease access to affordable housing to Cameroonians are yet to be fully occupied.
09:02 This is a major drawback for obvious reasons. Lapses such as the absence of water, the absence of power supply, and the constant leakages on the roofs of some of these buildings constitute major drawbacks.
09:17 Clarence Azair reports on the sorry state of government-sponsored low-cost houses in the south regional capital.
09:27 Four years ever since the Bulova 100 low-cost houses were first occupied, four years and not all the buildings are occupied.
09:39 The most crucial of our needs is water. There is no water here.
09:46 Apart from covering long distances in search of water, those living in the new settlement complain that the works were poorly executed.
09:56 When it's raining there are leakages on the roofs, no proper electrification, the buildings are even dilapidating.
10:06 The Cameroon real estate company is yet to issue permanent contracts to occupants and the residents living on certain sites.
10:14 We have no contract with SIC despite the caution we paid.
10:19 Housing officials say they are working to resolve the aforementioned problems.
10:26 The Minister of Housing has instructed us to draw an estimate for the repair works to begin and we are working on that.
10:38 The households attest that government's intention to offer them affordable housing was good, but the absence of basic facilities makes the buildings look more like a toxic gift.
10:51 And Ibolova is not an isolated case.
10:55 It is 15 years today since government launched a scheme to construct 10,000 low-cost houses in 22 localities in this country and this to ease access to houses to the multitude of half-nuts in this country.
11:11 As we speak, only 30% of this project has been executed.
11:16 The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development that is spearheading the project says challenges such as the lack of funds and the non-availability of land as well as other man-made obstacles have seriously slowed down this rather ambitious project.
11:33 Joyce Kimbefowajo has been putting a finger on why and where the project is stagnating and reports that there is a pressing need to bring private investors on board.
11:49 More and more it's becoming very difficult to find an affordable house in the cities of Cameroon and government had launched in 2009 a 10,000 low-cost housing program to contain the housing deficiency.
12:03 To date, authorities of the Ministry of Housing say 1,520 low-cost housing have already been completely constructed in collaboration with the Chinese in Douala, Yaoundé, Bafousam, Limbe and Saint Malima.
12:16 1,675 low-cost housing launched by local small and medium-sized enterprises with 720 of them completed in Mbanga, Bekoko in Douala and Olimbe in Yaoundé with the keys already handed over.
12:30 As concerns the emergency trial now budget, 600 low-cost housing have already been completed according to government and it says over 3,000 have up to date been constructed.
12:41 So if we go by statistics, 2,840 low-cost houses have been constructed to date within the government program, 260 done in collaboration with FECOM, totaling 3,100 low-cost houses already constructed in Cameroon.
12:57 Future plans are to include private investors to speed up the project.
13:02 This year, 290 low-cost houses will be completed and negotiations are to have private investors to finance the project so that in five years the 10,000 low-cost houses are all completed and handed out.
13:17 All said, the hope of many Cameroonians is that these low-cost houses should truly serve the low in society and not greedily be taken over by the bosses.
13:28 And as the crisis persists, housing experts are recommending a review of the procedures of acquiring low-cost houses in the country as a means of getting many more low-income earners benefits from the government measure.
13:49 The experts further opine that the institutions created in the 70s to ease the process are rather pausing like obstacles in a business in which they are supposed to be facilitators.
14:01 Mukwele Prince Wil Aduma reports that it is high time my two Sikh and Credit Foncier stood up and deliver exactly what is expected of them.
14:13 Shoulder to shoulder, buildings torn too high for access by ordinary citizens.
14:19 Cameroon's low-cost housing project that dates to 1972 has constructed a below-the-belt 11,000 houses.
14:27 This notwithstanding the creation of the trial of the Cameroon Housing Corporation Sikh, the landed credit, Credit Foncier and the mission for the development and equipment of urban and rural land, my two as agents.
14:40 When we analyze the procedure between my two, Credit Foncier and Sikh, that procedure are very, very cumbersome.
14:50 So it's important for our government to reduce, to dematerialize that procedure to facilitate the implementation of the construction of that lodgment.
15:03 While supply fails to meet demands in a 27 million population dominated by low-income earners, the country could borrow a leaf from where housing for the half-nots gave sleepless nights to governments.
15:15 For example, Ivory Coast, Rwanda and Botswana.
15:21 The government in that country put a lot of subvention to produce those low-cost houses.
15:30 So it's important for our government to put a lot of money to produce.
15:36 You know, today in Cameroon, our problem is that the subvention goes to the importation. It's very, very, very cost for our budget.
15:44 Subsidizing will mean building partnerships too.
15:47 Time for governments to exploit the public-private partnership component in the S&D 2030 in order to open the door to real estate investors in the private sector, experts say.
15:58 In other news, the second pilot committee meeting of the project to rehabilitate major road junctions and some major sports strategic parts in the capital city is underway with ambition to give Yaoundé a major facelift.
16:17 Housing and Urban Development Minister Celestine Ketcha Koutets-Hanson-Chasteday reiterated that work on the project, dubbed Yaoundé-Cardeville, will kick off this year, unfailingly.
16:31 Yoti Kalelisango reports on the project for which the French Development Agency has already pumped in over 46 billion CFA francs.
16:41 Eligidjwa Junction in Yaoundé, one of the zones the rehabilitation project Yaoundé-Cardeville targets.
16:49 A bus station will be built and roads maintained to fight traffic congestion in this area east of the capital city.
16:56 This project is more than 46.1 billion francs CFA. We will treat the mobility with a drain road, van Eligidjwa and the construction of a place where all these transporters can do their job properly and ameliorate their condition of work.
17:20 Members of the pilot committee revealed that getting their financial partner, the French Development Agency's non-objection certificate, with regards to the international call for tender for an independent party to carry out the financial audit is a bottleneck hitherto impeding the commencement of work.
17:38 We have put in place all the instruments to make sure that this project, wished by the head of state, will start in 2024.
17:48 The Yaoundé-Cardeville project is in line with sustainable development goals and also seeks to fight against green gas emissions.
17:56 You're watching the 730 News on the Cameroon Radio Television, the CRTV. We are beaming live from Yaoundé.
18:06 At a time when government is promoting the policy of import substitution, the country continues to import close to 200,000 tons of rice from India at the expense of home-grown rice that can sustain local demand for the commodity.
18:27 Such irrational and inexplicable importation of a commodity that deals a negative impact on the country's trade balance has left many wondering how serious the country is with the much-hyped policy of import substitution.
18:45 A warning, a policy shines a spotlight on this much-talked-about mismatch and to highlight just what the government should do to encourage the consumption of home-made commodities.
19:04 Through the Ministry of Trade, the government of Cameroon recently announced plans to import about 190,000 tons of wild rice custom-duty-free from India to help prevent shortages on the local markets.
19:17 Same measure taken in the year 2022 as Cameroon spent over 264 billion CFA francs to purchase 841 tons of rice.
19:28 These economists say goes contrary to the import substitution policy.
19:33 It is good news for the consumers who reside in urban areas, but it is very bad outcomes for our Cameroonians who are engaged in cultivating rice.
19:47 Companies like Semri or UN-VDR, the government should subsidize this company or make sure that they have enough working capital to buy the rice from the farmers.
20:00 However, government is currently working on increasing rice production to 750,000 tons by 2030.
20:09 Food security is a major concern. That's why you can hear about Viva Benue, Viva Logon, the rice value chain development in the northwest and west region.
20:25 And you have in the sector of Planut some projects to construct some irrigated areas for the production of the rice.
20:39 Projections indicate that if the three-year integrated import substitution plan effectively gets off the ground, it could permit the country satisfy national consumption and modernize rice production.
20:53 Cameroon's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Single Window for Foreign Trade Operations have signed a partnership agreement that will facilitate the acquisition of electronic phytosanitary certificates for the importation and exportation of plants and plant products.
21:17 Minister Gabriel Mbairube of Agriculture and Rural Development and Isidor Bihan signed the collaboration framework today in Yaoundé. Details with Aizen Gonku.
21:30 The importation and exportation of plants and plant products in Cameroon made simple. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Single Window for Foreign Trade Operations have signed a partnership agreement that will facilitate the complete dematerialization of procedures henceforth.
21:50 The first one is to make sure that all the digital procedures are online. The second one is to secure the funds that are related to this, the treatment of these procedures and lead the ministry to have a total, totally and digitally.
22:07 Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development indicated that the Single Window for Foreign Trade Operations has delivered over 8,500 electronic phytosanitary certificates.
22:21 "Iche Unique has always supported Minader by investing hundreds of hours of their resources to develop and compute various procedures, organizing training sessions for user and Minader staff in the use of the system,
22:40 and finalizing the interfacing of the SIAC platform with the e-phyto platform for the online exchange of phytosanitary certificates issued by Minader."
22:53 Having secured 8,000 billion CFA francs from customs duties via her electronic payment platform for the state in recent years, the Ministry of Agriculture is confident the partnership agreement with the Single Window will boost their results.
23:11 Activities marking the 39th edition of the International Women's Day are off and running in Cameroon with the official kika given today by Women's Empowerment Minister Marie-Thérèse Abénard-Ondoir in Akona, in the Mofon Akona Division of the Central Region.
23:31 Mme Marie-Thérèse Abénard-Ondoir made a case for stronger inclusive socio-economic and political reforms in favor of women in this country.
23:42 Beatrice Losamba is here with a foretaste of what will happen on March 8 as it played out today in Akona.
23:51 Thousands of women basking in the spiritual atmosphere of Akona, famous for its imposing cathedral and river which gave the Mofon Akona Division its name.
24:02 But Akona was not chosen to launch women's week activities for tourism reasons.
24:08 The women in the dominantly agricultural area, some 60 kilometers from Yaoundé, have felt the pinch of poverty related to them simply being female and have been subjected to violence and abuse from society which does not give them equal opportunities as men.
24:27 The woman of Akona, like women elsewhere, is a victim of violence. She wants to have rights to land inheritance like the men.
24:36 The Minister of Women's Empowerment and the family came with hands full of farming equipment to support women's groups from 36 villages in Bikok, Akona, Ngumu and Mankomo councils.
24:49 It is for them to know that it is not just a day to celebrate, to remember the commitment of the head of state who is believing in parity, who wants women to get out of poverty.
25:05 The Minister's words resonated well with the women.
25:08 Government wants more inclusive financial reforms, measures to guarantee economic independence for women, education for young girls and is committed more than ever before in seeing more women in decision making positions.
25:22 The 2023 rankings of the Baccalaureate Board of Cameroon has recognized Yanise Emmanuel Ngonkwo, overall best student in the Baccalaureate this year with an average of 17.85 on 20.
25:38 The terminal say student of GBHS Ndokpase made his school proud and his teachers have been describing him as a disciplined, diligent and respectful student.
25:50 From Douala, Gladys Atemba, Chechumabamba reports on this success story.
25:56 Academic excellence personified in one student, Emmanuel Ngonkwo Yanise.
26:04 He has appeared on the honor roll throughout his seven years of studies at the government's bilingual high school Ndokpase.
26:11 His teachers explained that he had always aimed for excellence from the time he was enrolled.
26:17 His knack for distinction was often shared with classmates for the general success.
26:22 Thanks to him, their batch is today one of the best of the school like his physics teacher explains.
26:28 He was a very brilliant student but that did not stop him from being hardworking.
26:35 He will present his assignment to teachers even at night when he sees them online.
26:41 He was always available for his classmates and very diligent.
26:46 Sometimes he corrected exercises on the board with his classmates when the teacher did not come.
26:54 Emmanuel Ngonkwo Yanise was a complete student who was not only interested in studies but also in extracurricular activities.
27:03 He was a child who was versatile. He actively participated in all school activities.
27:10 He was a member of the journalism club.
27:13 At that time, he was the editor-in-chief. He was also a member of the English club and the computer club as well.
27:20 The principal of government's bilingual high school Ndokpase, Mwen Natali, told reporters that her institution has always figured among the 50 best high schools in the country
27:31 because it has competent teachers who follow up students and parents are also giving them a helping hand.
27:37 Textbooks for the first cycle of the general secondary education of the Anglophone and Francophone subsystems of education in Cameroon
27:48 are under evaluation at the 23rd session of the National Council for the Approval of Textbooks and Didactic Materials holding in Yaoundé.
27:59 The session that was opened this morning by Secondary Education Minister Nnalova Lyong'a will be scrutinizing over 500 textbooks before proceeding with their validation.
28:12 Details with Victor Siga.
28:14 Following a Prime Ministerial decree in November 2017,
28:20 textbooks for the first cycle of general secondary education were evaluated in April 2018 on the basis of criteria signed by the Prime Minister.
28:29 This manual will expire after the ongoing school year.
28:33 The National Council for the Approval of Textbooks and Didactic Materials is thus working on new programs and conditions for all members in the production chain.
28:43 Today there's a competition between textbooks and the computer and where the children choose to go to most of the times they go to the computers.
28:53 But we are choosing books which we think will make them important citizens of this Cameroon.
29:00 A total of 532 textbooks have been submitted for approval.
29:05 Members of the Council are expected to select 77 manuals for the Anglophone subsystem and 56 textbooks for the French subsystem for the next school year.
29:15 When the first three years of that work was done, the Presidency was very happy about it and a law on textbook was passed.
29:25 It begins with the selection of the evaluators, the editing and publishing of the books.
29:31 They must be well edited and well published. The content should be pedagogically sound, it should be scientifically sound, it should be presented in impeccable English or French.
29:40 It should not have informational material that is not morally correct.
29:47 Other issues discussed include improving the syllables for all the subjects in the education system.
29:54 Under some sports news now, after the exit of the indomitable Lyonnais of Cameroon from the qualifiers of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris,
30:06 Cameroon will now be contented with watching the female football of the Paris Games from the galleries.
30:14 Their elimination comes to add to a long list of disappointing performances of these Lyonnais including their absence at the 2023 Women's World Cup and their elimination from the 2024 Women's Afghan.
30:30 Baldwin-Sama sounds the alarm bell over the dwindling performance of the Lyonnais and says it is time to rethink strategy.
30:39 A disappointing end of the road of a generation of players with nothing to write home about, the sinking fortunes of the country's national women's football team are a true reflection of an entire nation's dismay vis-à-vis a series of lackluster performances.
30:56 The humiliation has lasted for long, the pain remains unbearable and there is an urgent need for change.
31:03 There are certain players not fit to play at certain wings and today we simply cheat imposing them.
31:10 The coach has to know his players. He was appointed, yes. He is a good coach but the time he puts in to train the players, he equally uses to discover them.
31:18 Already it's good to see him in different stadiums.
31:23 A team of selected players with little or no vision, a lackluster play style with stakeholders expected to go back to the drawing board and propose the way forward.
31:36 We rely a lot on players we don't know instead of trusting those we watch daily. They are here with us. If we search well, we shall find good players. Why not rely on the Guinness Super League to set up our team?
31:49 A complete overhaul of the team, starting with the technical staff passing through aging players is seen as one of the immediate solutions to help forget the bitter memories and embrace a new era.
32:01 The Société Commerciale du Banque SCB, the affiliate of the Ati Jarwafa Bank, is currently leading an initiative in Douala to encourage women to excel in entrepreneurship.
32:16 It organized a conference in Douala to explain the underpinnings of the initiative dubbed "Stand for African Women Entrepreneurs".
32:27 Rabiatou Njengi Abdullaziz is in Douala.
32:32 SCB Cameroon, through this 2024 edition of Stand up for African Women Entrepreneurs, Soufawe wants to promote and help women entrepreneurs from Africa in their different fields, these through masterclasses and high level trainings.
32:50 The goal we have today is to promote women as entrepreneurs. This is practically the same goal as the first edition. We continue with the second one simply because we cannot do everything in one edition.
33:06 Over 200 structured and accompanied business meetings have been organized with specific training on the development of Cameroonian agriculture, trade, entrepreneurship and structured B2B meetings.
33:20 The African Development Club of the Ati Jarwafa Bank Group has also put up a dedicated platform.
33:27 We provide them trainings related to how to draft your business model, how to draft your distribution strategy, marketing strategy.
33:39 Three outstanding female ambassadors of Soufawe, among them Kate Fosso, expressed her readiness to help younger women grow.
33:48 First of all, setting goals of what they want to do, making sure that they stay professional in what they want to do.
33:59 The Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Ashil Basiliken III, assured SCB Cameroon of government support in encouraging female entrepreneurs.
34:10 I would like here once again to confirm the government commitment through the various instruments, like for example SCB Bank here, to incorporate women in this process and to have them as actors.
34:27 SCB Cameroon of the Ati Jarwafa Bank Group employs almost 600 persons in 54 agencies across the country.
34:37 That's the 7.30 on DCR TV. Thanks very much for watching. Good evening.
34:44 [Music]
35:08 (metal clanging)
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