On July 26, 2011 while evaluating progress made at the construction site of the low-cost housing scheme in Olembe, Yaounde, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Clobert Tchatat, expressed the hope to see the first phase of “120 sample apartments” ready by September 2011. And on July 18 same year, the Cameroon Real Estate Corporation, SIC, opened entries for the submission of application files for the purchase of apartments. Two months after the working visit by the Minister, sample apartments are yet to be completed. As work continues, applications for imminent occupation of the apartments keep flooding the SIC Head Office, Yaounde.
So far, over 51 applications have been received while over 326 people have visited the Olembe construction site with intention to appreciate and make choices. In Douala where other low-cost houses are under construction, 602 people have visited the site and some 439 files have been received between August 14 and September 30. Applicants are now waiting for a response from SIC while information gathered revealed that government is yet to fix the prices. Studies have been made and forwarded to competent authorities for the price of each apartment to be determined.
Meanwhile, at the Olembe construction site, work continues. A civil engineer at the SIC Head Office Yaounde, Edouard Antoine Zambo, said work at the 120 first set of apartments is 93 per cent complete while the 380 other apartments are 25 per cent complete. He explained that with the first 120 apartments that are being constructed by three different companies, the first 40 apartments are 98 per cent complete while the second company is at 96 per cent to completion point. The third, he said, is grappling at 85 per cent. He blamed the delay on the scarcity of cement that hit the city recently and the late acquisition of some imported equipment at the Douala Sea port. He therefore said the first apartments can only be ready by December this year if all goes as planned.
He however noted that other stakeholders are yet to do their share of work. Much is still expected after the construction process, he hinted. The Cameroon Water Utility Corporation, Camwater, is expected to extend potable water to the area while AES Sonel is responsible for electricity. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is in charge of tarring the road to the area while Maetur will make sure that the pathways in the area are well tarred or paved. While waiting for all of this, applications continue to be done as SIC is intensify work.
