Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09YAOUNDE1062
2009-12-17 14:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Yaounde
Cable title:  

CAMEROON'S PRIME MINISTER ON ECONOMY AND GOVERNANCE

Tags:  CM EAIR ECON EFIN PGOV PHUM PINR PREL SENV 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9231
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHYD #1062/01 3511430
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 171430Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0543
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 001062 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2019
TAGS: CM EAIR ECON EFIN PGOV PHUM PINR PREL SENV
SUBJECT: CAMEROON'S PRIME MINISTER ON ECONOMY AND GOVERNANCE

Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Scott Ticknor for reasons 1.4 (d) and (e)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 001062

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2019
TAGS: CM EAIR ECON EFIN PGOV PHUM PINR PREL SENV
SUBJECT: CAMEROON'S PRIME MINISTER ON ECONOMY AND GOVERNANCE

Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Scott Ticknor for reasons 1.4 (d) and (e)


1. (C) Summary: In a December 15 meeting with Ambassador,
Prime Minister Philemon Yang said the Cameroonian economy was
improving, with renewed focus on the energy an agriculture
sectors. He appreciated recent productive meetings with
Boeing and Lufthansa Consulting to revive the national
airline CAMAIRCO. He expressed interest in the MCC and asset
recovery assistance. President Biya was waiting to issue a
decree on the Electoral Commission (ELECAM) until the
institution was more established; progress was likely on
creating a Senate in 2010. Yang is beginning to disappoint
some observers as unable to energize the bureaucracy and less
accessible than his predecessor. End summary.

Climate Change Summit
--------------


2. (SBU) Yang confirmed that President Biya would attend
the Copenhagen climate change summit. Cameroon has a lot at
stake, given the importance of the Congo Basin as a forest
resource, he said. "We need to begin to talk about using our
forests productively," he added.

Economy Getting Healthier
--------------


3. (SBU) Yang conceded that the 2009 budget was "ambitious"
but believed the economy was getting healthier, even with a
decline in oil revenues. Referring to President Biya's June
directive that the economy be jump-started in six months,
Yang praised "some improvement," but also noted "some seeds
will take time." He highlighted the strength of the informal
sector and regional trade, pointing out that the government
has consistently paid its salaries and is making
infrastructure investments. The two key sectors are energy
and agriculture, he said, pointing to efforts to boost the
energy sector, including progress on Lom Pangar dam, the
Chinese-backed Memve'ele dam, and a Kribi gas-fired plant
("the government and AES are on the same wavelength," he said

- we will report more on the energy sector septel). The
government had also disbursed funds to strengthen agriculture
and animal husbandry, Yang added.

CAMAIRCO
--------------


4. (SBU) Yang remains the Chairman of the Board of
Cameroon's airline CAMAIRCO, which he described as an
"instrument of national unity." He noted that he had a "very
positive" meeting with visiting Boeing representatives the
previous week and that President Biya and former Camair staff
very much liked Boeing aircraft. Yang has also been working
closely with Lufthansa Consulting, which is doing a study to
lay the groundwork for CAMAIRCO planning. He hoped CAMAIRCO
would eventually fly to Europe, East and West Africa, and
domestically, but understood that it would take time to
develop these plans and the resulting aircraft requirements.


MCC and Governance
--------------


5. (C) The Ambassador gave Yang a copy of Cameroon's
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) 2009 scorecard, which
he was eager to review in more detail in a separate meeting.
He believed MCC goals were generally beneficial for Cameroon.
He appreciated the "no nonsense" frank criticism which World
Bank Vice President for Africa Obiageli Ezekwesili had given
President Biya during a visit to Yaounde earlier in the week.
Note: World Bank Resrep told Ambassador that Ezekwesili had
lectured Biya on his lack of leadership, in light of
Cameroon's poor governance and development shortcomings, and
had criticized the lack of coordination in his government.
The World Bank VP reportedly urged fundamental changes in
governance. Biya reportedly responded that he wanted to work
on this. End note.


6. (C) Ambassador told the PM of our hope to continue
cooperation on the recovery of stolen assets. Yang thought
this was "marvelous," stressing Cameroon's need for help in
this area. The Cameroonian public is pressuring the
government to "forget the trials" of arrested corrupt
officials and instead "get back the money." When Ambassador
noted our continued difficulty in getting approvals for
Cameroonian officials to participate in USG training, he
responded "the administration is slow," saying we needed to
build more advance time into our planning.

ELECAM and the Senate
--------------


YAOUNDE 00001062 002 OF 002



7. (C) President Biya is waiting to sign the Presidential
decree needed to transfer the voter register and polling
equipment to the Electoral Commission (ELECAM). He wants
ELECAM to staff up, register voters and get better organized
first, noting that "if there is an election, we need to be
ready," according to Yang. (Ambassador interjected "you mean
when," to which he responded "yes, when - the next
presidential election".) He hoped ELECAM would have a
"handsome budget" in 2010, stressing the "tremendous
responsibility" of ELECAM members and the care with which the
government had created the organization. He praised ELECAM
President Samuel Fonkam Azuu and other ELECAM Council members
as being "stubbornly independent."


8. (SBU) Yang was "very optimistic" the Senate would be
created in 2010. The cost was a big obstacle, especially
with other competing demands on funds. In the absence of a
Senate or Constitutional Court, both required under the 1996
Constitution but never established, the President of the
National Assembly is the constitutional successor to the
President and the Supreme Court has the responsibility of
announcing election results and ruling on any election
disputes, he explained.

Comment
--------------


9. (C) Yang is less accessible and less responsive than his
predecessor, Ephraim Inoni. It took us a month to get this
meeting and then Ambassador was sandwiched between his
back-to-back meetings with several other Ambassadors. Other
contacts have also remarked on the difficulty in meeting Yang
and on his lack of energy in shaking up the bureaucracy. He
seems to wait for problems to come to him. While gracious
and intelligent, he frequently mentions President Biya, who
appears to value him more for his loyalty, clean reputation,
and Northwest political connections than for his
administrative effectiveness.
GARVEY