Cameroon now has a modern long-term master plan for the development of its railway lines expected to engender the development of its natural resources as well as boost the transport network in the country and in the central African sub-region. The plan was officially presented to the public at the Yaounde Hilton Hotel yesterday April 28 in a colourful ceremony chaired by the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT), Louis Paul Motaze, in the presence of some cabinet ministers.

In a speech during the ceremony, Mr Motaze said within the framework of reviving the country’s economy that dwindled with the economic crisis, it was but logical to have up-to-date infrastructure, one of which is modern railway lines that meet international standards. He described the master plan as a welcome relief given the obsolete nature of the country’s railway network and government’s move to boost the mining sector that absolutely needs railway to function optimally.

At a time government’s efforts to boost employment and development in all its forms, the Minister said, are uncompromising, having a rail network master plan worth the name will besides inducing the effective execution of some giant projects, also open up the country to the rest of the sub-region with all the benefits that come with it. Officials say the project will in the short-term generate over 348,300 direct and indirect jobs and 256,000 jobs in the medium-term. These will include sectors like architecture, civil engineering, computing, electro-mechanic, woodwork, metallic construction, among others.

Coming on the heels of government’ s vision of making the country an emergent one by 2035, the national railway master plan, experts say, will generate the creation of associated industries in the domain of cement and ensure a constant annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 4.75 per cent from 2015 to about 2040. This, they said, will greatly reduce the importation of primary and secondary products as well as boost exports.

According to a consultant, Alexis Celestine Manguele, the number of job openings that will be up for grasp with the rail network project necessitates an adjustment in the country’s education system so as to train people needed by the sectors involved in the project.

The plan, described variously as a jewel on government’s neck, is fruit of a partnership agreement reached between government and a South Korean consortium on September 10, 2009 for the latter to carry out feasibility studies and produce a National Master Plan for the country’s railway. The consortium comprised Korea Port Engineering Corporation, Chung-Suk Engineering Co. Ltd, Korea Transport Institute and Korea Rail Network Authority. Feasibility studies on the various itineraries, records show, are expected to round off in 2012 and by 2013; effective take off modalities of the project will be done.