BIYA LAYS OUT VISION FOR CAMEROON'S DEVELOPMENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 001140

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA ACTION OFFICERS
EUCOM FOR J5-A AND POLAD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KMCC PREL PINR ECON ETRD EINV CM
SUBJECT: BIYA LAYS OUT VISION FOR CAMEROON'S DEVELOPMENT

REF: YAOUNDE 1109

MARKED PARAGRAPHS ARE SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR
DISTRIBUTION OUTSIDE THE USG.


1. (SBU) Summary. In a rare publicized meeting with his
cabinet, President Paul Biya on September 12 ordered his new
government to focus on achieving more robust economic growth,
progress on social issues like health and education, and
better governance, including increased efforts against
anti-corruption. Biya's announced agenda dovetails well with
USG goals, including those of the Millennium Challenge
Corporation. Many commentators welcomed the spirit of Biya's
remarks, but there were questions as to whether the
high-minded rhetoric would be matched by political will and
results. Given the general thrust of Biya's September 7
cabinet shuffle (reftel),we are disposed to give him the
benefit of the doubt and seek ways to help bring his vision
to fruition. End summary.

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Three Goals: Cribbed from the MCC?
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2. (SBU) Presidential convocations of the entire cabinet
are always headline events in Cameroon; Biya seldom addresses
his ministers directly, especially en masse. His September 7
directives to the government (as released to the press after
the event--a first for Biya) laid out an ambitious agenda and
lofty goals. Biya enumerated three overarching priorities:

--greater economic growth (especially to create more jobs)
--more progress on social issues, especially health and
education
--more effective governance (including performance reviews)
and stepped-up anti-corruption efforts.

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Economic Freedom
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3. (U) In his pitch for a "revival of growth" Biya called
for greater economic freedom and renewed investment in
domestic industrial and agricultural production. Lamenting
that the Government of Cameroon's "reflexes remain those (of)
an administered economy," Biya said "the government must
change its attitude towards the private sector, notably as
concerns the tax system, by granting more incentives."

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Investing in People
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4. (U) Biya called upon his ministers to "stimulate social
progress," especially in the areas of health and education.
Biya singled out the need for greater access to water,
electricity, and housing.

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Ruling Justly
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5. (U) Biya noted that his ambitious plan was made possible
by the "clear majorities" his party, the Cameroon People's
Democratic Movement (CPDM),won in the July 22 National
Assembly and municipal elections and reaffirmed his
conviction that the elections had been free and fair except
for "a few dysfunctions, which were corrected by the Supreme
Court." Biya focused on the need to step up anti-corruption
efforts ("the embezzlement of public funds, regardless of its
form, is a crime against the people who are thus deprived of
their resources") and improve government performance. He
insisted, without going into further details, that
"government should expect to be assessed on the basis of
performance criteria."

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Comment: Saying (Mostly) All the Right Things
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6. (SBU) Biya focused his government on all of the right
priorities, with one glaring exception: the imperative to
strengthen Cameroon's democratic and judicial
institutions--the two areas where Cameroon scores worst on
MCC criteria--was conspicuously absent from Biya's agenda.
There was no reference to the supposedly imminent creation of
an independent electoral body (ELECAM),and Biya deigned to
speak about democracy only to insist that the 2007 elections
were a success (a view widely out of touch with the

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Cameroonian street) and to demonize opposition candidates in
those elections as "demagogic and unrealistic."


7. (SBU) Nonetheless, most Cameroonians would concede that
economic growth and job creation must be Cameroon's paramount
goals for the near term. We believe Biya is sincere in his
stated desire to grow the economy, invest in the social
sectors, and improve the performance of government. Now that
the team is in place and the agenda has been set, it remains
to be seen how well action will match rhetoric. End comment.
GARVEY