“Infrastructures are important, insofar as they can influence a wide range of economic activities having a direct impact on the production capacities of companies as well as on the consumption possibilities offered to citizens. Similarly, infrastructure development can contribute to growth and development in several ways”
Dixit Paul TASONG, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, in charge of Planning, on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the 1st session of COPIL – PAGIRN in Africa Centrale, held on February 2, 2023 in Douala.
financed under the Eleventh financial protocol for cooperation between the Central African region and the European Union, were present at this session chaired by MINDEL, the representative of the president of the CEMAC commission, the representative of the president of the ECCAS, the heads of the European Union delegations in the Central Africa region, the heads of the execution of the support program for the Governance of Regional and National Infrastructures in Central Africa, as well as the heads of the private sector and Central African civil society.
Standing out on the African continent by the weakest network of infrastructures, in particular transport, energy and telecommunications with a negative impact on the social conditions and well-being of the populations, as well as an underdeveloped private sector and an unattractive business environment.
According to Mindel Paul TASONG, Central Africa has developed through its Regional Economic Communities development plans for transport, energy, water, telecommunications and ICT infrastructure. And we can cite the consensual Transport Master Plan in Central Africa which had the short-term objective of connecting all the capitals of the sub-region by a fully paved road by 2010. Objective far from being achieved despite great efforts made by the Member States.
"Many links in the consensual transport network are not paved, for lack of funding", explained the head of planning at MINEPAT
It is in this context where the development of infrastructures remains weighed down by economic and financial fragility at the global level that the support program for the Governance of Regional and National Infrastructures (PAGIRN) in Central Africa proposes to improve the sustainability of investments and ensure greater efficiency in regional and national economic infrastructure in transport, energy and information technology through strengthened governance in these sectors.
"These meetings will bring together all the stakeholders with the aim of assessing the state of implementation of the program, in order to promote the exchange of experiences, define the working methods and set up a sustainable framework for sharing information between the implementation partners and the beneficiaries concerned by all the components", indicated Paul TASONG, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development.
Before continuing, "it is in this perspective that the Regional Economic Communities are constantly called upon to concretize the strengthening of their institutional capacities, in order to effectively play the different roles that could be theirs, namely between others: Organizational, Steering, Implementation, Monitoring, ...", he specified.
Financed to the tune of 20 million euros by the regional indicative program of the EDF, the support program for the governance of regional and national infrastructures is part of the united nations program for sustainable development by 2030. And contributes mainly to gradually achieve Goal 7, which "guarantees access for all to reliable, sustainable" and modern energy services at an affordable cost, and Goal 9, which intends to "build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization that benefits all and encourage innovation" for sustainable development.
With the aim of improving the sustainability of investments and ensuring greater efficiency in regional and national economic infrastructure in transport, energy and information technology through strengthened governance in these sectors. G.M.Ngalieu / M. TENE
