A three-day workshop began in Yaounde on May 29, 2013.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, MINHDU, on May 29, 2013 began acquainting themselves in a workshop with the requirements of programme budgeting. The three-day workshop with theme, “Programme Budget: Basics, Budgeting, Codes and Analysis,” is holding at the Yaounde Conference Centre.

Organisers explained that the training was informed by globalisation which entails that things are done differently, especially in terms of budgeting for planned activities. Also, Cameroon embraced this method of budgeting this financial year. Participants at the workshop have since last April been involved in preparing the next budget for the ministry. The first of its kind for most of the participants, similar workshops are in the pipeline for staff in the regions. Programme budgeting generally refers to planning that matches objectives with resources for specified outputs over a medium or long term period.

The training was opened by the Permanent Secretary in MINHDU, Ahmadou Sardaouna. The 100 participants, who will attend the course in two batches, are sub-directors, service heads and budget managers. Topics to be covered include; ‘The basics of programme budgeting,’ ‘Budgetting: The means and constraints,’ ‘Key concepts in programme budgeting,’ and ‘Techniques for drawing up programme budgets.’