Government officials involved in the proper implementation of the country’s 10-year development plan contained in the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper are currently seeking ways through which the projects could be efficiently executed and followed up to meet desired goals. This is through an ongoing nine-day workshop at the Yaounde Mont Febe Hotel grouping senior officials of the departments of Planning, Programming, Budget and Follow up of concerned ministries.

The workshop which is organised by the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT), took off on Monday December 20, 2010. Speaking during the opening ceremony, the Secretary General at MINEPAT, Paul Tasong, said unlike other documents, the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper contains the life of the country and must be followed up efficiently. He said it is above all a strategy, it’s a plan and that as a tool of strategic planning, the strategy paper contains long-term development of the State that must be well planned from inception so as to ensure efficiency in executing the projects and proper monitoring.

The Growth and Employment Strategy Paper is one of the second-generation Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers designed following a dynamic and open process, involving full participation of the population at the grassroots, civil society organisations, and the private sector and development partners. It covers the first ten years, 2010 to 2020, and focuses on accelerating growth, creating formal employment and reducing poverty. The workshop ends on December 29.