The disclosure was made during a board meeting to evaluate the mid-term performance of the 2015 budget.

Thursday, September 3, 2015, was a time of reckoning at the Douala II Council. Both Councillors and local administrative officials once more scrutinised the implementation of the 2015 budget, midway into the fiscal year. In her address during the Ordinary Board Meeting, Mayor and barrister-at-law, Denise Fampou, said there has been a significant increase in revenue collection, compared to the same period last year.

Revenue collection as at June 30, 2015, increased by 37.94 per cent, as against 31 per cent in 2014. While expressing satisfaction, the Mayor imputed the increase to the broadening of the tax base, due particularly to the introduction of the hygiene and council taxes. Other factors that contributed to the improved performance include the progressive retake of some markets in the municipality, recovery of right to temporary occupation of public roads, collaboration with tax services and transparency in revenue recovery, thanks to partnerships with several financial institutions. The direct payment of taxes to the financial institutions has also reduced corruption.

Hurdles, she said, were noticed in the area of taxes on immovable properties, transfer of property rights, forest royalties and other revenue collection. She called for the collaboration of local administrative officials for successful tax recovery. The 2015 budget of over 1.9 billion, added to some FCFA 303 million brought forward from 2014, brings the Douala II Council budget for 2015 to FCFA 2.227 billion.