Actors in the decentralisation process for the Centre, South and East Regions begin acquiring skills in Yaounde today. The major actors in the decentralisation process in the Centre, South and East Regions, will today in Yaounde begin a five-day training seminar on the organisation of council services and the management of competence and resources transferred to City, Subdivision and Local Councils. The training seminar in Yaounde that comes after that of Garoua held last week, will be the second lap of the nationwide training seminars.

The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation (MINATD) is organising the training sessions six months after the central administration transferred some competence and accompanying resources to councils. Indeed, nine ministries within the framework of the first generation of transfer of competence and resources, have put at the disposal of councils FCFA 23,072,363,000 for the execution of specific projects in the domains of competences devolved. The seminars are also organised after government set up new organisational charts for councils spelling out some key positions to strengthen the decentralisation process. To ensure success, the government has equally disbursed to the councils FCFA 6,004,000,000 out of the sum of FCFA 9,694,000,000 allocated for the General Endowment of Decentralisation in 2010. The money, sources at MINATD say is meant to pay the salaries of councils officials and for investment.

Government’s efforts necessitate that actors in the decentralisation process from the administration properly master the stakes of the process for the desired development to be triggered. It for this reason that actors in the decentralisation process are acquiring knowledge and skills on the better functioning of City and Local Councils, the decentralisation process and transfer of competences, judicial and operational framework guiding the transfer of competences. Other topics being treated include the council supervisory authorities, the council development plan, financial regime of the State and its impact on council management, as well as the financial regime of local governments.