2019 State Budget. Priority Areas
Prime Minister Philemon yang presented to the national assembly on November 21, 2018 priority to mastering challenges following government’s economic, financial, social and cultural programme for the 2019 financial year.
Emmanuel NGOTA
While addressing the members of parliament, the Prime Minister and head of Government said the government’s economic, financial, social and cultural programme for the 2019 fiscal year is presented after the swearing-in of the president of the republic, his Excellency Paul Biya. The government’s economic, financial, social and cultural programme draws on the instructions of the Head of State, in the important speech he pronounced at the national assembly during his oath-taking on 6 November 2018.
During 2018, government activities were mainly to consolidating the achievements of previous years and tackle head on numerous stakes and challenges related, among other things to; the furtherance peace, national unity and the spirit of togetherness, the finalization of construction works of sports facilities and related infrastructure, ahead of the organization of the 2019 Africa cup of nations, the continued implantation of the three year emergency plan for accelerating economic growth, the implementation of the three year special youth plan, the follow-up of major infrastructure projects and the continued implementation of the economic partnership agreement concluded with the European union.
As far as the social area is concern, despite a national context marked by security constraints and social agitation and Cameroon exhibited resilience and put up a united front behind the head of state. It is in this light that Prime Minister Philemon Yang saluted the great sense of maturity and the republican spirit of Cameroonians. He added that Cameroonians did not give in to blackmail by not permitting to be manipulated by enemies of the state as they remained united in overcoming the threats which Cameroon faced in 2018.
According to the general performance in revenue optimization on July 31, 2018, the tax revenue mobilized at 922 billion 200 million cfa francs, custom revenue at 362 billion cfa francs, recurrent expenditure stood at 957 billion cfa franc in the first half while capital expenditure stood at 741 billion 900 million cfa franc. The public debt service absorbed 301 billion 100 million cfa franc. Thus, to meet the states and challenges that await Cameroon in 2019, government must continue the implantation of on-going institutional and structural reforms and fast-track the execution pace of major anchor projects.
As such Philemon Yang concluded that with these stakes and challenges will require that Cameroonians spare no effort to complete on time the various infrastructures to host the 2019 Africa cup of nations. Furthermore, public authorities will set out to finalize the projects under the three years emergency plan for accelerating economic growth and implement the three years special youth plan.
