Between FCFA 10 million and 50 million in overhead costs to be saved annually.
The signing on Tuesday May 29, 2012 of a Country Agreement between the Government of Cameroon and Heifer Project International, HPI Cameroon, an international integrated livestock development organization, is going to help in redirecting resources for the assistance of farmers through savings in operational costs.
The agreement provides for certain privileges and concessions for imports or local purchases of project material including exemptions from customs duties and excise, Value-added Tax and the payment of taxes by expatriate staff.
Speaking to Cameroon Tribune in Yaounde on May 30, 2012, HPI Cameroon Country Director, Dr Henry Njakoi noted that between FCFA 10 million and 50 million could be saved annually from customs and tax concessions, depending on the number of planned operations or investments. He described the decision as a mark of recognition by government of the contribution of Heifer to the development of the rural population in Cameroon and to the overall economic development goals of the country.
Dr Njakoi commended President Paul Biya for instructing the Minister of External Relations, Prof. Moukoko Mbonjo Pierre to sign the agreement with Heifer International's Vice President for Africa, Elizabeth Elango, thereby inspiring and encouraging his organisation to do more. He added that the coming into effect of the agreement was a big relief for HPI Cameroon after the application for it was submitted in 1998.
Heifer International Cameroon is a locally-registered international Non-Governmental Organisation whose headquarters is in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. The national headquarters is at Nkwen, Bamenda in the North West Region. It started work in Cameroon in 1974 and has since been working in partnership with communities, government agencies and other organisations to alleviate hunger and poverty in resource-limited communities through the provision of livestock, training, veterinary services, and technical expertise.
HPI has implemented various livestock-based grassroots projects, including dairy cattle, sheep, rabbits, snails, grass cutters, meat goats and sheep, pigs, donkeys, guinea pigs, and bee farming in the last 38 years. It has also organised community-based animal health services, HIV/AIDS education, agro-forestry training and many other related on-farm training sessions. These grassroots projects have enabled 250,000 direct farm families and about 1,250,000 indirect beneficiaries to build sustainable livelihoods in ecologically sound ways. The organisation currently supports projects in six of Cameroon’s 10 regions viz; the North West, South West, West, Littoral, Centre and Far North.
