WHAT ARE JEICOM?
As part of the deepening of the decentralization process initiated by the President of the Republic, Head of State, His Excellency Paul Biya, the United Municipalities and Cities of Cameroon (CVUC) have initiated the International Economic Days of Municipalities for Territorial Development (JEICOM), in conjunction with development partners, institutional and sectoral stakeholders directly involved, and in particular France, a long-standing partner of our country.
JEICOM is a unique event with the ambition of implementing the largest marketing initiative for territorial development in Cameroon. This initiative is part of the pillar:
"Governance, Decentralization and Strategic Management of the State,"
set out in the National Development Strategy (NDS 30), the compass for the Cameroonian government's economic and social action. With the first powers having been transferred by the State to the municipalities since 2010, a participatory evaluation of the development policies implemented reveals concerns about factors that tend to slow the process, notably the low involvement of local populations, including youth and women, in the selection, implementation, and monitoring of local development projects; and the insufficient financial resources of municipalities, among other things.
The JEICOMs represent a practical translation of the desire for territorial empowerment through the creation of a genuine local production system. This new dynamic will help limit rural exodus and encourage "urban exodus" through the creation of centers for the production of wealth and opportunities in the territories, in order to promote alignment of the CTDs with the National Development Strategy 2020-2030 (NDS 30). The overall objective of the JEICOM is to create a space of opportunities for the development and financing of municipal and inter-municipal projects, as well as the development of the Territories' potential. These projects will still benefit from financial support from the State, but in a more targeted manner, particularly through the planned improvement in local taxation.