The Minister of Forests presents the priority areas
This requires profound reforms which are at the origin of this press conference in Yaoundé last week at the Mvog-béti botanical garden. 3rd contributor to Cameroon's GDP (gross domestic product) with 4%, the Ministry in charge of Forests and Wildlife intends to perform more to improve its position.
At the heart of the discussions, the application of the gradual ban on the export of logs in the CEMAC Zone, which has long been postponed, and the good points of the 2nd Generation Computerized Forest Information Management System (SIGIF II). These changes translate into action the recommendations of the Head of State, who would like the wood to undergo at least a first local transformation in order to increase public resources with the aim of compensating for the decline in oil resources.
The main purpose of this meeting with the men and women of the media was to inform them of the new provisions of the Cameroonian government, on the management of forest and wildlife resources. There was concrete discussion of the consensual decision in the CEMAC zone, to prohibit the export of timber in logs, and also on the effectiveness and operational nature of SIGIF II, which is the forest management and dematerialization tool procedures.
The meeting at the Mvog-béti Botanical Zoo garden also made it possible to discuss the overall reforms carried out in the forest and wildlife sub-sector in Cameroon. 3rd contributor to the country's GDP, behind hydrocarbons and agriculture, "Under the supervision of the Prime Minister, head of government, the Ministry of Forests intends to explore various possibilities, with a view to a profound change in the activities of the primary sector, towards the secondary and why not the tertiary,” indicated Jules Doret NDONGO. It is a question here of seeking and generating sectoral synergies, appropriate in line with this ambition. This therefore implies a paradigm shift in the deployment of MINFOF components such as the exploitation of forest products and the development of wildlife resources.
For the minister, these are “pathways for the future, with the aim of bringing about a profound change in the activities of the primary sector, in accordance with the high guidelines of the Head of State Paul BIYA, on the occasion of his address to the Nation on December 31, 2023.” The 2nd generation computerized forest information management system is a tool for capitalizing on the State's public resources.
“I am delighted today that all forest operators have registered in this tool,” said Jules Doret NDONGO. With its implementation, MINFOF has reached a new stage in forest management, resulting in better production management as well as increased revenues. In the forest products valorization segment, CEMAC has instructed to stop the export of logs. This decision, it should be remembered, has been postponed twice in a row in Cameroon.
The adjustments requested by the government are underway. For MINFOF, this is an essential subject, and also responds to the import-substitution policy advocated by the President of the Republic. “At the level of the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife, a few milestones have been set in order to translate these orientations into reality,” reassured Jules Doret NDONGO. In fact, its competent ministry and other sectors, namely public works and markets, have signed a joint decree relating to the use of wood of legal origin in public procurement.
“The objective is to reduce the ordering of wood products in foreign countries, which makes our economy dependent on foreign currencies,” said the government member. It was also a matter of ensuring the gradual establishment of an internal timber market, with the creation of 23 sites which can be communal or belong to individuals. To this list, we must add the training of 2,000 craftsmen on wood drying. The major measure, following the CEMAC decision, remains awaited, MINFOF nevertheless recognized.
Some important advantages
This segment falls under the tertiary sector. Cameroon has phenomenal potential to develop ecotourism. It has 22 national parks, 5 wildlife reserves, 3 botanical and zoological gardens, 6 wildlife sanctuaries, thus facilitating the development of this other vector of growth. To boost this sector, according to explanations, it is necessary to develop access routes to reach certain sites, the development of echo lodges and the strengthening of capacities in terms of protocol management between animals and tourists.
Clément Noumsi
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