Prime Minister Philemon Yang yesterday had separate discussions with Korean and Canadian business and economic delegations and also received an Angolan special envoy.
Cameroon’s Prime Minister, Philemon Yang and a Korean delegation led by the Deputy Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Kim Eun-Seok during a working session at the Star Building yesterday, January 26 discussed ways through which economic and trade relations between the two countries could be consolidated and strengthen.
Talking to the press after the working session, Kim Eun-Seok said Cameroon and Korea have agreed on many projects including the railway line linking Mbalam in south east Cameroon where iron ore will be exploited to the Kribi seaport. He said they would have detailed discussions on the project later on. “We talked about the increase in productivity of maize and rice in Cameroon, more trade and business opportunities between Cameroon and Korea”, the Korean Minister said. Korea, he disclosed, is ready to share its experience in economic development and know-how with Cameroon that has the objective of becoming an emerging country by 2035. In this connection, he said his country has been inviting more Cameroonians for training in areas such as textile, automobile, ship building and ship repairing.
Low-cost Housing
Also yesterday, as early as 10:00 am, Philemon Yang received a delegation of a Canada-based housing company, Centriq Real Estate Investment Management that wants to partner with the Cameroon government in building 10,000 low-cost houses for the emerging Cameroon middle class population. The President of the company, Giles Tchangoum said they are bringing a revolutionary technology in the lodging sector as the houses they build are humidity and insect proof, with a mechanism that helps to regulate temperature inside. He revealed that a sample house was already constructed in Odza in Yaounde , stating that they have the capacity of building 50 houses of international standards within a week.
The company is ready to start building the houses from the last half of 2011, Giles Tchangoum said. As for the price per house, he said it could only be determined when all the variables are put together. Some of the material will be imported from Canada while local material will also be used, besides local labour that will be recruited and trained. According to Giles Tchangoum, the company intends to set up three production units in Cameroon and this will help reduce the cost of building and consequently that of the houses. Prime Minister Yang, the official said, was encouraging and receptive to the concept. The Canadian High Commissioner to Cameroon, Jean-Carol Pelletier accompanied the eight-member delegation to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Later in the afternoon, the Prime Minister also received in audience the special envoy of the President of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos. The special envoy, Dr André de Oliveira Joao Sango, who is Secretary of State at the Presidency of Angola, handed a sealed message to Philemon Yang for onward transmission to Cameroon’s President Paul Biya. The Angolan envoy declined to disclose the content of the message to the press.
