At 35th Ordinary Session: Central African Economic Union Ministers Council takes key decisions!

By DOH JAMES SONKEY The Council of Ministers of the Central African Economic Union of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States held its 35th ordinary session last August 10, 2020 via video conference with its current Chair, Cameroon’s Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, presiding at the deliberations from Yaounde, while the President of the CEMAC Commission, Prof. Daniel Ona Ando was minutes secretary. After evaluating the economic and social responses at the sub-regional level and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the peoples of the sub-region, members urged the CEMAC Commission to join the PREF-CEMAC Permanent Secretariat in order to finalise reflection on the community post-COVID19 re-launch plan. Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey accompanied by Min. Del., Paul Tasong, at video conference Closing the session, Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey invited the CEMAC Commission to accelerate the finalisation of current documents taking into accounts all pertinent observations and orientations formulated at the session, for tabling at the next Council of Ministers session. To facilitate the free circulation of persons and goods, they adopted a project aimed at harmonising titles and charges for citizens who visit member countries for a brief stay. The Ministers also adopted measures aimed at creating a customs bureau at every frontier of member countries and to temporarily suspend some criteria for the implementation of multilateral surveillance. They also adopted the decision prescribing sanctions to impose on those who infringe the rules governing multilateral surveillance. The 35th ordinary session enabled the Ministers to examine the financial situation of the sub region, with special focus on the implementation of the Community Integration Tax as well as the debt situation of member countries by the end of the 2019 financial year and put in place an alert mechanism or early warning on macroeconomic disequilibrium within the CEMAC zone. While putting finishing touches on the document guiding industrialisation and diversification of economies of member states within the CEMAC zone, the Ministers also examined the procedural manual on the management of the affairs of FODEC, the health situation in the sub-region and the process for the return of the CEMAC Commission to Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic. The post At 35th Ordinary Session: Central African Economic Union Ministers Council takes key decisions! appeared first on The SUN Newspaper, Cameroon.