The national seminar on the management of the first generation of transfer of powers to councils in Yaounde yesterday focused on presentations. The major institutional actors in the decentralisation process in the Centre, South and East Regions had a busy schedule yesterday, July 13 acquiring knowledge and skills on the optimal functioning of councils. This was through presentations tailored to enable them effectively and harmoniously manage the powers and resources the central administration transferred to councils at the beginning of this year within the framework of the first generation of transfer of powers to councils.

The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation (MINATD), the organiser of the series of nationwide seminars has brought in experts in different fields to impart knowledge on the participants. The decentralisation actors for the three regions therefore yesterday had lectures on the Council development plan, the financial regime of the State and its influence on municipal management and the exercise of new supervision over councils. They also had lessons on the financial regime of local authorities. Yesterday’s presentations and sharing came on the heels of the introductory lessons of Monday that were on the themes, “municipal management: team management” and the organisation of council services. Deliberations today, will centre on the themes; financing of decentralisation via vote transfers and via the Common Decentralisation Fund, new Council taxes and fees, new tax regime procedures and disputes and taxation and the large tax unit.

The ultimate goal of the training is to enable councils to organise the use of their human and financial resources pursuant to the new regulatory framework so as to be ready to receive the new powers transferred to them. At the end of the seminar, there will be a better organisation of council services for a judicious use of the available human and financial resources; the understanding of the new financial environment for the councils and a good understanding of the transfers of 2010 and their implementation.