Abstract

This study is on the “The implementation of decentralization policy in Cameroon : case study limbe1 council”. The main aim of this study is to check the extent to which decentralization law has been applied in Cameroon in genera and limbe1 council in particular. To check the population reaction to this law , bring out the problem encountered in the implementing this  law and some proposed solutions.

Using both primary and secondary data source, the study found out that decentralization policy left the people of limbe1 municipality unsatisfied as they complain  that decentralization entities have an undefined functional responsibility due to the head of local government cannot act on its own but would rather seek permission from central government.

It was thus recommended that government has to transfer all the competencies and powers which is still holds to council and train the local authority. At any time limbe1 council would passes and exercise all its powers to attain development, decentralization will be said  to have commenced in that municipality.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to study

The past two decades of Cameroon’s decentralization practice had witnessed reforms aimed at ensuring that governance and development is brought closer to the citizens. Most of these reforms were targeted at the creation of political, economic, social and sustainable growth and development.

Prior to the 1988 Local Government Reforms, District Assemblies in Cameroon were required to plan and prepare their budgets and generate enough revenue to finance their local development programs. However, the reforms of fiscal decentralization programs which were adopted by the central government to delegate this responsibility to the local bodies became a major challenge as a result of improper planning and investment capital at the local level (Ballbui-, 2008).

With the inception of the local government reform of 1988, the government of Cameroon embarked on the implementation of a comprehensive policy to decentralize the system of government by transfering public authority to plan resources and personnel from the central government authority to regional and district jurisdictions. This policy was backed by the Local Government Law of 1988 (PNDCL 207) and the subsequent passing of the Local Government Act of 1993, Act 462.

The reforms identified five main sources of revenue to the District Assemblies and these included the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), internally generated funds through local taxation, loans, permits, and other sources such as sale of lands as well as ended revenue (as it was then), which was to deal with a number of lesser tax fields of the central government (Aryee, 2003). The DACF over the years has served as the primary source of expenditure of the Assemblies as against the DACF and District Development Fund (DDF) which are used to finance capital expenditure in the Assemblies.

The municipal council  in Cameroon are required to provide administrative, fiscal, social services and amenities to their residents. These responsibilities have been increasing in nature as a result of the gradual decentralization of some of these responsibilities which hither to were being performed by the central government.

However, majority of the revenues of the District Assemblies, generated from the identified sources are woefully inadequate to support recurrent expenditure much more to finance the delivery and running of basic infrastructure and services needed by the local communities.

These District Assemblies have become solely dependent on the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) for their infrastructural development. In recent times however, the absence or the delay in the release of this fund, as a result of deficits in revenue inflow to the central government has almost brought most of these Assemblies to a ‘standstill’.

This situation has negatively affected the administrative, social, economic and the infrastructural development of the Assemblies. This has led to the need for the Assemblies to examine their budgetary and revenue mobilization processes and strategies with the view to identifying effective and sustainable ways of generating revenue for infrastructural and other development projects in the Assemblies.

The government of Cameroon in its desire to strengthen these Assemblies in their revenue generation and further deepen fiscal decentralization, had put in place some reforms as stated in the 2014 and 2015 budget statements respectively in order to address some of these challenges.

1.2 Statement problem

The Constitution of 1996 from Article 55 to Article 62 of the constitution of January 1996 gives provisions of decentralization through the creation of Regional and Local Authorities. Regional authorities  are at the regional level of the state making a total of 10 regional authorities and local authorities at sub divisional level of the state making a total of 300 local authorities in Cameroon.

In addition, the regional authorities came in to existence only after the regional election was conducted or carried out on the 6th of December 2020. Furthermore, the law or the code on regional and local authorities was also past by the legislature on July 2019. This work seek to justify the extend of the implementation of the decentralization in Limbe1 council and also, to assess the development and the problem faced at the local level caused by decentralization.

1.3 Objective

1.3.1 Main Objective

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the extent to which decentralization law is implemented in Limbe1.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

1. To assess the level of development caused by decentralization.
2. To examine or to investigate the problem faced by the policy and proposed some solution.

Check out: Political Science Project Topics with Materials