Cameroon: Programme for the improvement of governance and transparency in Public Finance Management (PAGT/Public Finance)

Client: EC Delegation Cameroon

Partner(s):

Start/End Date: 07/2007 - 10/2010

Description:

This programme was part of the priority action plan of the National Governance Programme II. The general objective of this project was to contribute to a better efficiency and transparency in the public finance management by supporting the government in the pursuit of reforms, in the elaboration of a comprehensive plan of reforms in public finance management and also by contributing to the coordination of donors’ support.

Three long term technical assistants covered the three aspects of the programme:

1. Elaboration and implementation of a programme approach for the public finance reform: this part consisted in supporting the government in achieving the implementation of an integrated approach in the sector of public finance by contributing to:

- design a national plan of public finance reform
- Design a plan of action for the implementation of this reform
- Design a coordinated programme for institutional support
- Improve the administration capacities in order to implement the action plan of implementation of the national reforms plan.

A close follow up of the budgetary reforms has been made.

2. Supervision and transparency in the public finance management: the technical assistant in charge of this aspect was attached to the Chambre des Comptes. He worked at the implementation of three essential components:

- Continuation of the national archiving project;
- support to the beginning of the works of the Chambre des Comptes,
- implementation of the reforms regarding internal checking and auditing;

Training plans were developed for the magistrates and personnel involved at each level.

3. Improvement of the statistical mechanism of follow up of the implementation of the poverty reduction strategy : attached to the INS, the third expert was in charge of supporting the definition and the implementation of the training plans of the INS staff, the set up of the logistical support financed by devis programmes and the undertaking of regular statistical surveys in order to collect reliable data about the poverty reduction strategy.

Short term technical assistance projects have completed the implementation and achievement of this programme.

The following services were provided:
• Adoption and implementation of a National action Plan of public finance reforms by the Governement, with an efficient coordination between donors.
• Adequation of reforms included in the comprehensive action plan and implemented with the characteristics of the integrated approach conducted by the government with a single programmatic frame, and a formalized process for the coordination between and with donors.
• Restoration of the archiving system: improvement of the archiving system of the public spending functioning according to standardized procedures
• Accountable functioning of the Chambre des Comptes: publication of certification reports; accounts judged availables by the Chambre des Comptes which fulfills its role of external checking organ of the public finance
• Reform of the checking and internal auditing function: reorganization of the missions of checking and internal audit in the targeted priority ministries
• Implementation of the statistical mechanism of monitoring/evaluation of the implementation of the poverty reduction strategy: regular collection of statistical information; analyses and dissemination of information collected with a regularity allowing an efficient monitoring and evaluation of the poverty reduction strategy by all actors.