Cameroon’s Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development (MINDDEVEL) Georges Elanga Obam has chaired the sixth session of the Steering and Monitoring Committee for the construction project of the Douala Modern market. The meeting took place in Yaounde, on February 24th 2023. During the session the minister urged stakeholders of the envisaged modern market to play their role for the take off and final delivery of the project.
Speaking at the session, Minister Obam acknowledged that there has been delay in the project, especially as it was earlier programmed to have begun by 2022. He thus exhorted all concerned to contribute diligently in the realisation of the project. “it is therefore important that we urgently catch up with the delay in accelerating this file, due to the non-respect of our reciprocal commitments. For this, our will should know no relaxation. I expect from you, more than in the past, enriching and constructive contributions, opinions as well as observations with a view to the successful materialization of this ambitious project, in its technical, financial and land components. it no longer seems necessary to me to recall that as members of the steering committee, we must all, in a participatory approach, combine our efforts and harmonize our points of view, to move the lines, but above all, to remove any ambiguity still perceptible around this investment” Minister Obam said concerning the modern market to be constructed in Douala.
The minister however commended actors who have been committed in the project, then he encouraged them to remain focused realise the commercial edifice in Douala.
The actors include the Mayor of Douala City, the Director General of FEICOM, the mayors of Yaounde III and V and the D.O of Wouri.
In a power point presentation, architects projected the construction plan of the 59 hectare modern market which is said to include a portion for retail selling, a portion for wholesale, a portion for sales of animals, toilets, garages, a toll booth, a fire station, a truck park and offices.
Some recommendations had been taken during the fifth session held in August 26, 2022 to be implemented for the project. These were notably the devising of means for MINDDEVEL, to finance partners of the project, the D.O of Wouri Division to set up a commission that would relate with the Ministry of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure MINDCAF and for FEICOM to examine, together with Military Engineering, its installation on the project site and the finalization of impact studies social and environmental. The level of implementation of these recommendations were reported by stakeholders during this sixth session.
The main works include holding of meetings with Various partners on the compensation of persons with land title and the need to limit the construction of the modern market to council land rather than extend it to land of private individuals wherein resources would not be adequate to compensate them if they give off their land. The sixth session then continued with an in camera session where stakeholders brainstormed on ways to enter into the operational stage of the project, the means to compensate persons who would lose property in the event of the construction of the market and the method that would be used to finance engineers.
The envisioned market lies between Douala III and V. Speaking to the press, the Mayor of Douala V said it is a market that would serve beyond the national scope “The importance of the construction of a modern wholesale market Is not just only for the people of Douala but is a sub regional market and the minister of decentralization wishes that the countries of the CEMAC region can come and get provisions from this market”
The sixth session focused mostly on architectural and technical issues of the construction. Stakeholders are looking forward to progress in the work including the eventual laying of the foundation stone and physical work.
By Mildred Ndum Wung Kum
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