Government is implementing a bottom-up approach to preparing the second phase of the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP), and according to the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, they plan to make the appropriation of the strategy really strong.

It is for this reason that the Minister held a consultation meeting with members of the Upper House of Parliament in Yaounde on March 29, 2019 to offer them an opportunity to contribute to the drawing up of the longterm growth and employment strategy.

During the meeting, Senators congratulated government for successes in the implementation of the first phase; questioned failures recorded and made proposals that could improve the implementation of the second phase which starts on January 1, 2020. “Senators have really given pertinent contributions in assessing our achievements so far. We are assessing Phase I (spanning from 2010 to 2019) and planning Phase II.

The assessment has shown that despite the challenges our country has been facing for the past five years, the performance has demonstrated how resilient our economy is – a growth rate of 4.6 per cent; inflation below 3 per cent and progression in reducing poverty and underemployment,” the Minister said. He noted that the contribution of the Senators in terms of strategic orientation was very pertinent.

The first phase of the GESP which ends on December 31, 2019 was expected to see the reduction of unemployment rate from 75.8 per cent to 50 per cent by 2020, reduction of poverty rate from 39.9 per cent to 28 per cent by 2020 and an increase of the growth rate to 5.5 per cent. It should be recalled that similar consultation meetings have been held in the ten regions of the country.

Minister Ousmane Mey said the appropriation of the strategy will be guaranteed this time around because consultations have been designed to be broad-based; taking into account the proposals of the youth, local councillors and mayors, civil society, women and everyone interested in pushing the country towards emergence.