Interim Strategy Note (ISN), FY2007 - FY2008 In December 2006, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors discussed the Interim Strategy Note (ISN) for Cameroon, which covers fiscal years 2007-08. The ISN takes into account several changes that give Cameroon greater opportunities to foster its development: attainment of the completion point of the Enhanced Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) debt relief initiative in April 2006, eligibility to the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) and the momentum of Paris declaration on aid effectiveness, March 2005. The current Bank Group support to Cameroon is guided by three principles: addressing governance including anticorruption, reinforcing management for results, and strengthening partnership, alignment and harmonization. The new ISN provides about US$220 million IDA credit funding, in addition to substantial financial resources from HIPC and MDRI debt relief and direct investments from the International Finance Corporation (IFC). In order to improve the development effectiveness in Cameroon the Bank Group will pursue all activities in close collaboration with international development partners. All ISN activities are integrated around six outcome clusters and for each of the outcome clusters, a results matrix has been established: - Strengthening PRSP implementation
- Strengthening governance, including anticorruption and public finance management
- Fostering private sector development
- Supporting infrastructure and urban development
- Supporting the forestry and environment sectors and strengthening rural and agricultural development
- Promoting human development
Results of the outcome clusters will be assessed annually using the ISN result matrix. In 2008, four new projects were approved by the Bank Board of Directors, in the Energy, Environment, Public financial management and Health sectors. The Energy Sector Development Project will increase supply of energy and consolidate the reforms in the electricity sector to create a solid base for growth and poverty reduction in Cameroon, especially in rural areas. Specific sub-objectives include : - increasing energy supply through the implementation of the Kribi gas power generation project,
- supporting preparation of energy projects, including Lom Pangar Dam (LPD) and rural energy projects,
- improving governance of the energy sector by building capacity to better execute public sector mandates (MINEE, ARSEL, AER), and
- Increasing access to modern energy sources in rural areas through the implementation of a rural energy fund.
In addition to the ESDP, an Environmental and Social Capacity Building Project for Cameroon has seeks to improve the management of and the accountability for environmental and social issues related to large infrastructure investments, with an initial focus on the energy sector. The expected long-term benefits of the project are to: (i) reduce the negative externalities of large infrastructure projects; (ii) develop a transparent, stable and fair framework for managing environmental and social risks that can improve the enabling environment for large infrastructure investments; and (iii) institutionalizes information flows between the populations affected by large infrastructure projects and other stakeholders, and political decision-makers. A Transparency and Accountability Capacity Development Project has also been approved in June 2008 by the World Bank. The rationale for Bank involvement is to contribute to the implementation of the three pillars of the ISN: (i) better service delivery, (ii) good governance and anticorruption, and (iii) enhanced cooperation between donors which are key PRSP development challenges for Cameroon to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This would assist GoC lay solid foundations for a transition to increased budgetary assistance, including from the Bank, under PRSCs. The Health Sector Support Investment Project seeks to achieve better health and nutrition outcomes towards accelerated and sustained economic growth and poverty reduction. The Bank has a window of opportunity to collaborate with other development partners to get Cameroon back on track towards reaching the health and nutrition Millennium Development Goals. The revamping of the Health Sector Strategy and the bottom up process of district planning which is underway provide a good opportunity to re-engage in the health sector in collaboration with other partners. For the Ministry of Health the Bank’s contribution will strengthen visibility and credibility of the government’s health program, and leverage resources from other partners. Downloads |
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