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  • 28/05/2025

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00:01:00Good day, by a twist of circumstances the extractive minerals sector has become one
00:01:19of the pillars of Cameroon's resilient economy and that is where Cameroon needs to be careful
00:01:24so that this vital natural resource doesn't become a curse like elsewhere. I will be speaking
00:01:32to the person in charge of implementing President Porbio's mineral resource policy, the acting
00:01:40Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development Foucalistus Gentry. Ladies and
00:01:48gentlemen, this is inside the Presidency End, on the anchor, is your humble servant,
00:01:55Ashu Nyenti, in Iyawonde. We shall also bring to you, or relieve, the new Iyawishi ceremonies
00:02:06at the Inti Palace, first at the Main Palace and at the East Wing. I would like you at
00:02:13this moment to grab a glass of water, sit down on your sofa and let's begin the right
00:02:19first of all, let's stop over in the newsroom to watch the pictures of the new Iyawishi
00:02:24ceremony for members of the diplomatic community to Cameroon's sovereign, Porbio.
00:02:43The new Iyawishis from the diplomatic corps to President Porbio took place in the iconic
00:02:48Ambassador's Lounge, a symbol of elegance and prestige. Although a routine diplomatic event,
00:02:53it captured a remarkable moment of diplomatic harmony with Cameroon's head of state.
00:02:59As the ceremony began with the arrival of Cameroon's sovereign and his close diplomatic
00:03:04aides on the watch, the first major highlight was a speech by Moroccan Ambassador,
00:03:09Moustapha Bou, the new Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, in his first assignment in that capacity.
00:03:15Ambassador Bou praised Cameroon's diplomatic efforts and presence on the continent and
00:03:21international stage, highlighting its strategic role in strengthening regional diplomacy
00:03:26and providing a home for many refugees. He noted that Cameroon's diplomatic agility
00:03:33led to the country's notable achievement with former Prime Minister Philemon Young
00:03:38elected President of the 79th United Nations General Assembly. In his response, delivered in a
00:03:45steady, calm and collected tone, Porbio acknowledged the significant role the international community
00:03:51played in positioning Cameroon at the forefront of global diplomacy. He expressed regret over
00:03:57the persistent conflicts worldwide despite efforts to resolve them. President Bia identified
00:04:05national egoism, the resurgence of unilateralism and disregard for international norms as the
00:04:12primary causes of these looming threats. However, he remained optimistic, believing that the
00:04:18international community can address these challenges by adopting solutions he proposed,
00:04:23such as international solidarity. President Bia emphasized the urgent need for collective action,
00:04:30warning that humanity's survival depends on it. To achieve this, he advocated for equitable
00:04:36multilateralism, transparency and inclusive international relations. Following the speeches,
00:04:44the diplomats led by the dean, heads of mission, chargés d'affaires and heads of international
00:04:50organizations took turns before President Porbio. They shook his hand and wished him a happy new
00:04:57year. Some engaged in longer conversations, extending beyond mere pleasantries for 2025.
00:05:04The atmosphere was relaxed, convivial and joyful as the head of state
00:05:09bid farewell to his esteemed guests who departed in high spirits for their respective mission
00:05:15premises. Nearly all diplomats are credited here when they attended the ceremony.
00:05:45The happy few who attended the new year wishes ceremony in the palace to say happy new year to
00:05:51Mr. President. It was a great pleasure, a great honor to once more be right in front of the
00:05:59president this year. You do it all the time, but what does it feel like? It appears as if
00:06:05no matter how many times you do it, each time you come before the head of state, it is an entire
00:06:11story on its own. Well, I think it's that communion of bringing everybody together
00:06:17of all ranks of society, saying that this is a people's palace and I think it makes a sense
00:06:25of belonging. That is not a certain group of people, you see the whole strata of society.
00:06:32I think that is what makes it very special. Now, that ceremony was a continuation of what
00:06:38started on the 31st of December 2024 with the president's end of year or so-called state
00:06:46of the nation address. When he mentioned specifically the hope that the mining sector
00:06:53holds for the development of this country, Mr. Minister, did you feel at that juncture
00:06:59that there was an added burden on your shoulders? Well, added burden, yes, a sense of responsibility
00:07:08but more so a sense of honour that we have consecutively for a third year been
00:07:17put at the helm of the president's speech and yes, it comes with a sense of responsibility
00:07:24and since we have been responding to this call, it's less of a burden. You have said,
00:07:32you have mentioned that it is the third year consecutively that the head of state is taking
00:07:38time to mention a sector over which you have a charge. Now, does that reveal to you
00:07:45the importance that the mining sector is supposed to have for the economic development of Cameroon?
00:07:53Yes, I think the president in his wisdom at the right time sounded the note and responded to it.
00:08:02This is an industry that will never profit any nation if it remains at a level of potential.
00:08:12The potential must be translated into an activity that is beneficial at a certain period in history.
00:08:21So, the call was sounded and I think
00:08:25every element is in place for this nation, not only to be a major force in the sub-region but I
00:08:35think put legislation together, put our geographical position together and everything,
00:08:42I think we stand a very good chance to be the compass for Africa.
00:08:47So far, Mr. Minister, based on available statistics, the mining sector as a whole
00:08:52contributes a paltry 1% to the gross domestic product of Cameroon. Now, what specific measures
00:09:00have been put in place to ensure that this vital sector, like you mentioned, plays a more significant
00:09:08role in contributing to, you know, the growth, to the financial resources that this nation can rely on?
00:09:18First of all, the fact there's never been any mining to say. We've been mostly based with the
00:09:27petroleum sector. So, mining properly said will start. But more so, if anything is going to come
00:09:35out of it to be a major contributor to the gross domestic product is because of legislation,
00:09:42which is going to allow the state to seek immediate benefits as soon as a mining project starts,
00:09:50which has been the problem of Africa because we've always relied on dividends. Dividends
00:09:56that most African countries will have 10% in a mining project. But how do you determine dividends
00:10:03if you are only holding a 10% stake? So, we went right to the core of the matter and put legislation
00:10:10in place that allows a kind of production sharing, which is an innovation in the mining industry,
00:10:15it's only found in the petroleum sector, which means that if 100 tons of iron ore is exported
00:10:22in Balaam, the state will be staking a hold on 10 tons. That is immediate for state coffers
00:10:32and the effect with gastronomy, it will be felt at the onset of mining. Also, we have moved
00:10:43from about 37 kilograms of gold since independence as results to 1,500 kilograms of gold within a
00:10:52very short time because of legislation. Because even though mining has not started properly in
00:10:57gold, but all the small activities, the state decided that if you can't beat them, join them.
00:11:04So, whatever is there, we take 25% consolidated tax. So, we've started also building our gold
00:11:11reserves as a nation. So, these are all things that are imminent and going to be exponential
00:11:20as soon as we believe very firmly that exportations of minerals will start this year.
00:11:28You mentioned production sharing formula. Let me take you on that. Now, those who are non-experts
00:11:34in the field fear that there could be a rip-off against Cameroon because the production sharing
00:11:42formula that has been agreed upon apparently up to this point is that for precious metals,
00:11:48it is 2% to 5% and for what they call base metals, it is 5% to 10%. That is a production sharing
00:11:57formula. Can you reassure Cameroonians, Mr Minister, at this particular point in time,
00:12:03that it will not be the case of monkey the work, baboon the job? That is to say, the monkey does
00:12:10the job while the baboon gets the benefits. I must say that this is an innovation in Africa.
00:12:17Don't forget that the 10% free carry is still there. But in English, the appropriate term is
00:12:29not production sharing. We call it, especially for precious metals, net smelter value. This means that
00:12:37what gold is produced, if you are able to have 5% of the total gold produced before taxation
00:12:45sets in, it's a limit. If you go too far, you break the company. And this means that the state
00:12:53has not put in anything. The state is collecting 5% of pure metal before we move into the taxation
00:13:03regime. That, in mining terms, is a lot. Because if you go above certain margins, the project will
00:13:12be killed. So I think if you look in legislation across the continent, this is innovative.
00:13:19You've heard recently that some countries are ceasing assets of taking gold because
00:13:26bad deals were initiated. And they have waited for dividends which do not come.
00:13:31But we have ground legislation that protects the project, assures the interest of the state.
00:13:39In taxation, don't forget that this company is going to pay corporate taxes. This company is
00:13:45going to pay royalties directly to the council area where this is found, before the production
00:13:55sharing. So in a good economy, if you overtax a project, you kill the project. So we have a
00:14:03sliding scale to balance everything depending on the project and make sure that the state wins
00:14:10and the project stays alive. Very well then, are you therefore saying conclusively that Cameroon
00:14:16will not be losing out? Not at all. I can already say that many countries, especially when we hosted
00:14:23the Council of Ministers during the mining ministers from the OACPSS, many countries have
00:14:32come back to us because we took a very bold step, have come back to us. There are countries
00:14:38even coming to see us at the ministerial level to share our experience. And we are going to put
00:14:45legislation on, we're going to test it, it's going to work. Let me give you another opening.
00:14:53You see, in the petroleum sector, what comes out is a finished product. But in the mining sector,
00:15:01what comes out has to be beneficiated. So if you take iron ore and you were to do a production
00:15:10sharing and say, okay, let's take 30 percent, then Cameroon should take its 30 percent and
00:15:15beneficiate it. But you allow somebody to go through the process of finishing at very exorbitant
00:15:23cost. For example, iron ore, minus $70 to treat one ton of iron ore. But that is all done by the
00:15:35company and the state only comes in to receive the finished product. I think it's a fair deal.
00:15:41We are starting, let's give industry a chance to flourish. Mr. Minister, since you became
00:15:47the titular minister of that ministry, a lot of work has been done. So much has been said about
00:15:56our movements away from a country of potential to a country of production.
00:16:04Can you, if not doing an evaluation so far, what can you point to that Cameroonians can say
00:16:12that something has happened, that we have moved from point A to point B?
00:16:18Let me start by saying that CRTV can go out to Cribi. They will definitely see mines under
00:16:26construction. I want to say that if you go out to Mbalam right now, the ore is being stockpiled.
00:16:36And we believe that before April trucks will arrive, which will initiate the first phase
00:16:43of transporting ore to Cribi. Therein, the railway will be launched by opening a path
00:16:53from Cribi to Ibolova. This first phase will allow the distance of the first route to be shortened by
00:17:02200 kilometres. Therefore, in the next phase, the ore from Congo will be inserted, which is
00:17:1070 kilometres away. Now we still have a 140-kilometre advantage. So all is set. And
00:17:20recently we saw that on almost the last day of the year, the Prime Minister inaugurated
00:17:27the transformation plan of iron ore. As I speak to you, next week we're going to the field to
00:17:33relocate the site and construction works will start for the transformation of iron ore that
00:17:39will arrive in Cribi. A lot is happening. If you go to Cribi, it's not the same place.
00:17:44The President, in his wisdom, prophesied some years ago that Cribi would one day, when he said
00:17:51that, many people did not see that Cribi was going to become a major mineral port in Africa.
00:17:57So a lot is happening around Cribi. An industrial zone has been developed, and a lot, I must say,
00:18:01that of all the mining projects, the south region is the most active region in mining because we have
00:18:08almost five iron ore projects which are being evaluated presently. So a lot is happening on
00:18:14the ground. Let me go to Minimatap. If you go up to Adamawa, the whole population,
00:18:23people are having hope because the whole place is like they are waiting for a new baby to be born.
00:18:29Mr Minister, is it not just a hope that they are feeding on?
00:18:32No, not at all. That's why I'm saying this year you will be seeing a major work start on the
00:18:40Minimatap deposit, which we all learned about since independence, as geography books about
00:18:47Minimatap. But today we have a committee that is following up the immediate start of this project,
00:18:55where you see the railway link to the project, 37 kilometers of road constructed,
00:19:03the mining asset inaugurated, a base camp built, and the rest of it. In two years and a half time,
00:19:09the building of the plant to transform bauxite to alumina will be initiated.
00:19:16The field is alive. There are things that you as journalists can go out to the field,
00:19:23investigate independently, and report back to Cameroonians.
00:19:27There's no turning back. We are a mining nation.
00:19:32Now, when I look at it carefully, there are two things that come to mind immediately
00:19:38as issues that need some attention. We talk about the population, environmental challenges.
00:19:45We talk about the financing, the funding. What measures have been put in place to ensure that
00:19:50these two principal problems are resolved? That is to say, the funding and the environmental
00:19:56concerns that come with these mining activities. In the elaboration of every mining project,
00:20:04before we even get to the stage of talking about the president signing a mining lease
00:20:11or an exploitation license, if you want to translate it right, an environmental-based
00:20:18study is done in consultation with the populations of the area, elite of the area inputs. And let me
00:20:25tell you, no major project in the world can start and get funding when the environmental aspect is
00:20:31not assured. In fact, even the Cameroon Pipeline Project, it was a well-concerned...
00:20:36You mean the environmental impact assessment?
00:20:39Yeah. It's a prerequisite. Otherwise, you don't even get funding for the project.
00:20:44If Cameroonians have to not be worried about anything, it's about the environment,
00:20:47because it's a prerequisite for financing of any major project.
00:20:51But tell us, what are some of the environmental concerns that
00:20:54you take care of with these activities?
00:20:57Well, you normally see rudimentary aspects like... The whole thing is that a project should allow
00:21:07the environment to remain intact. So you want to say that customary sites, graveyards, forests,
00:21:15all the things that are there should remain after the project. So all this, you want to do an
00:21:23assessment of the status quo. What is the present state, and how shall it be sustained as the
00:21:30project goes on and after the project? How are you going to impact the lives of people? If you are
00:21:35going to... Let's say you go to a village in Mani Division and you find a very big thing,
00:21:42which is 1,000 times the value of that settlement. You can move people to a new settlement
00:21:51and give them a new life, in fact, a better life. So these are all aspects that I consider,
00:21:57is it worth? If that project is not big enough to displace people, you don't do it.
00:22:02So the environment will stop it. So this is a whole domain on its own, and
00:22:08this aspect is not even handled by my ministry. The Ministry of Environment comes in, in a separate
00:22:14committee, to assure that everything is done according to the norms that are set
00:22:21by world standards for a project of a certain nature to take off.
00:22:26Okay, Mr. Minister, we're going to take our first pause in the program. We're going to return to
00:22:30our machines. I talked about the New Year Wishes Ceremony at the Presidency of the Republic.
00:22:36We're done with those of diplomats. Now it's the moment for us to watch the pictures of New Year
00:22:41Wishes from National Dignitaries to Mr. President of the Republic. We put these pictures together.
00:23:02Tradition was respected at the Unity Palace, adorned in exquisite colors. Those of the nation
00:23:09of the festive season, with hundreds of National Dignitaries welcomed on the red carpet to present
00:23:15New Year Wishes to the President of the Republic. A solemn ceremony, void of speeches, which unfolded
00:23:22in the magnificent banquet hall of the People's House and with the Senior Vice President of the
00:23:28Senate. His Majesty Abu Bakr Abdullahi led the delegation of Bureau members of the Senate,
00:23:34closely followed by the Right Honorable Kavayi Gibril, House Speaker of the National Assembly,
00:23:40who had a firm handshake with the President of the Republic before the Senior Deputy Speaker.
00:23:45Four Deputy Speakers and Questors of the August House did the same. Immediately following was
00:23:52Chief Dr. Joseph Dion Gute and with the Prime Minister, Head of Government, were Ministers of
00:23:57States, Ministers, Ministers, Delegates and Secretaries of State present to wish the President
00:24:03of the Republic a Happy New Year. Season's greetings to the Head of States, which also came
00:24:08from Ayang Luke, the President of the Economic and Social Council and members of his delegation,
00:24:14behind whom came Justice Klima Otangana, President of the Constitutional Council, accompanied
00:24:20by members of the Regulatory Body, all arrayed in ceremonial robes. Full regalia, also won by
00:24:27Daniel Mekobesone, Chief Justice of the Supreme Courts, leading a delegation of Supreme Court
00:24:32Justices in the country. Jean Kwete, Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Cameroon
00:24:39People's Democratic Movement, led the delegation of the Political Bureau of the CPDM, a delegation
00:24:45followed by leaders of political parties represented at the National Assembly and the Senate, with,
00:24:52among others, Bapolipote and Pierre Balingel Court representing the UPC, coming after Patricia
00:24:58Ndamdjouya of the CDU. Isaac Besala, the leading trade unionist, came before Professors
00:25:05Rémy Magloire Diodoné-Etoile of Yaoundé I and Richard Lohan-Omba of Yaoundé II. Rectors who
00:25:12preceded Reverend Diodoné Massinghams, President of the National Anti-Corruption Commission,
00:25:17and its members, after whom was Peter Mafani Musonge, President of the National Commission
00:25:23for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism, bodies created by the
00:25:29Head of State with specific mandates, also led by Faye Yengo-Francis, National Coordinator of the
00:25:35National Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Committee. Joe Chebonken,
00:25:42at the helm of the National Communication Council, came with its members, while His Grace Jean Barga,
00:25:49Archbishop of the Yaoundé Archdiocese, or Chardin, the delegation of religious leaders,
00:25:55Catholic Protestants and Muslim clerics, behind whom came Augustin Tamba, Chairman of the Cameroon
00:26:01Association of United Towns and Cities, who led the delegation of mayors, and led by Christophe
00:26:08President of the Chamber of Commerce. Business magnates also took turns to say Happy New Year,
00:26:14Mr. President. Among them, the Directors General of CRTV, Shah Undungu and Marie-Claire Nana of
00:26:21SOPECAM, as well as Armand-Claude Abanda, resident representative of the African Institute
00:26:27of Computer Sciences. Minister Joseph Betias Somo led the delegation of the Central Administration
00:26:34of the Ministry of Defense. The Chief of Defense Staff, Lieutenant General Rene
00:26:39Claude Meka, was at the head of the 19th Delegation of the Central Headquarters
00:26:44of the Ministry of Defense, closely followed by generals admitted to the 2nd Division.
00:26:51Ferdinand Ngongo, Minister of State, Secretary General of the Presidency,
00:26:55headed the delegation of the General Secretariat of the Presidency.
00:26:59Samuel Nvondo Ayolo, Minister, Director of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency,
00:27:05led that of the Civil Cabinet, while Julien Dumba came at the head of the Grand Chancellery
00:27:11of the National Orders. Minister Rose Mba Acha Fomundam led the 24th Delegation of the Supreme
00:27:17State Audit Office. Her counterparts, Minister Francois Bolvin Wakata, headed the services in
00:27:23charge of relations with Parliament, while Ibrahim Talbamala headed the Ministry of Public
00:27:29Contracts. The special advisers at the Presidency were guided by Luke Sunjen, the Roving Ambassadors
00:27:35by Roger Miller, and the caretaker of the Unity Palace, Christophe Fuindi, came before Martin
00:27:41Barangangile, Delegate General for National Security, who led the delegation for national
00:27:47security. The Director General, Jean-Pierre Robbins Ngumu, came with the Directorate General
00:27:53for External Research. The President's Defence Staff was led by Air Commodore Emmanuel Amogo.
00:27:59Major General Ivo Desensio, the Director of Presidential Security, was followed by Raymond
00:28:05Jean-Charles Bekoabondo, Commander of the Presidential Guard. Simon-Pierre Bikélé,
00:28:11the Chief of State Protocol and Esteem, also took turns before the President, shaking and
00:28:16presenting their best wishes. In all, the President of the Republic received good wishes from 35
00:28:23delegations. Spending even more time with the dignitaries afterwards, the President was in his
00:28:29own way, also thanking and honoring his guests for their support and tireless commitment to
00:28:35making the nation a more perfect and prosperous union for all Cameroonians.
00:28:51Based on statistical information, many investors are picking interest again in Cameroon.
00:29:01Now, what incentives has your ministry put in place to lure or attract foreign investors to
00:29:12invest in the mining sector, which appears to be an area that needs substantial investment?
00:29:21Let me say, Cameroon is a very organized country which works through sectoral codes.
00:29:27The petroleum sector has a code, mining has a code, industry has a code. So, if you look at it,
00:29:37we are developing this whole industry through value chains. If you look at aluminum as a value
00:29:45chain, we start with bauxite, and a prerequisite for giving this mining convention was you must
00:29:53associate industry to it, you must transform. So, the project is worked out to take care of
00:30:01the upstream and downstream sectors, which means the investor is tight.
00:30:05Now, when you say upstream and downstream, I want you to break it down to our viewers.
00:30:09Upstream meaning that mining is a primary sector, and when you transform,
00:30:15you are in the secondary sector. When you are to add services to it, shipping,
00:30:21other people that will come into play is tertiary sector. So, if we take the case of a full value
00:30:27chain, bauxite, the company is going to start. It is part of the mining convention that they must
00:30:34transform bauxite to aluminum. And all the ingredients and incentives have been put in
00:30:40place for them to benefit from both mining and industry. What exactly?
00:30:45Oh, you can look at the 2013 incentives, which guide people setting industry in Cameroon.
00:30:53The company will benefit from that. You can look at a mining code, a new legislation that is in
00:30:58place with the text of application recently signed, where it will benefit from a code in
00:31:05the upstream sector. And then there's possibility to even get involved with a further stage of
00:31:12industry in aluminum. By the time we finish with this project, aluminum is going to be a major
00:31:18powerhouse in Africa, because all this while we've been taking aluminum from other countries,
00:31:24including Guinea, but we're going to have aluminum, which is going to be from our own
00:31:30country at the backyard. Certainly, it will make aluminum a more profitable venture. So, you see,
00:31:36once you develop your economy through value chains, you take the case of tiles. We have
00:31:44clay. We have feldspars. You mix the two, you produce tiles. But let me tell you that before,
00:31:51Italy was taking clay from Ukraine to produce tiles in Italy. What did we do? We've set up
00:31:58a project here, where in Cameroon, we have clay, feldspars, around Cribi, clay, feldspars,
00:32:07around in the neighborhood of the Kake area. In the southwest region? Kake is in the Bombari.
00:32:14Oh, the Bombari. Just a little bit from Rwanda. All this material is going to come from neighboring
00:32:19regions. Do you imagine that we can produce the best tiles in the world because the materials
00:32:25are all located here? Are we already producing tiles in Cameroon? Of course, we should start
00:32:29exporting. Actually, we should inaugurate the two plants, one in Cribi and one in Kake this year.
00:32:37That's our ambition. So, all is set already in Cribi. I was recently in Kake, and we're doing
00:32:44it with the same Italian technology. And why should we not produce better tiles? Because
00:32:50we have material, labor, and everything at a cheaper cost. So, this is just what I'm trying
00:32:56to say, that everything, nature, taxation incentives, sectoral codes, are all positioned
00:33:05to make Cameroon a very, very attractive investment place in Africa. And again,
00:33:11don't forget, industry is about taking a primary material to move into something. In the middle,
00:33:17you need two things, energy and human resources. We are blessed with this. We have one of the best
00:33:25human resource pool in Africa. We are bilingual, we speak two languages.
00:33:32Intellectually, you can see even in the UN system, we are gradually taking the places which many
00:33:38African countries occupy because of our strong human resource base. Again, in terms of energy,
00:33:44after the Democratic Republic of Congo, in potential, we have, because of our healing nature,
00:33:53we have a huge energy potential, which, again, through the great vision of the head of state,
00:33:59great energy infrastructures have been built, dams and the rest of it, which are going to make
00:34:05Cameroon a power energy house. These are all incentives. And I think that within the next
00:34:13couple of years, as industry picks up, it will have a catalytic effect to attack other industries
00:34:19because Cameroon is set as, geographically, if you produce in Cameroon, you have a big neighbor,
00:34:25Nigeria. You have a big market in Central Africa, which is going to consume. That's what we always
00:34:32tell anybody, if you produce in Cameroon, you are producing almost to the west and to the east of
00:34:41Africa. So I think that our natural geographic position, our historical background and
00:34:49everything gives us a vantage point as far as industry and mining are concerned in Africa.
00:34:54Talking about energy, which is very crucial to power industries, you're talking about potential,
00:35:01but people need to invest right here and now. Mr. Minister, do you think with the available
00:35:08energy, the megawatts that we have at this moment, it is necessary, or of course,
00:35:15it's to the level that can attract industries in that heavy area that need a lot of energy?
00:35:24Listen, I think Cameroon has got to be more mature. Anytime we have a power shortage, we go,
00:35:29boom. It's like, but people should look at what is being done. We are building one of the highest,
00:35:37the best energy infrastructures in Africa to accommodate energy. I'm speaking under the
00:35:42control of the Minister of Energy, because we work together. Without energy, there would be
00:35:47no industry. But is something being done? Of course. We are building dams. We are translating
00:35:54our potential into energy infrastructure. But if there's a power shortage, it doesn't
00:36:03mean that the government has not got a very, very short, medium and long-term plan for energy.
00:36:09I think it needs a lot of maturity, because I've produced a small document in my ministry,
00:36:15which is like Cameroon in the African mining industry. We should do a comparative study.
00:36:22When we say we are having royalties, what do we have in Botswana? What do we have in Gabon? What
00:36:29do we have in the Democratic Republic of Congo? When we say energy, what is our potential? What
00:36:34are we doing with this potential? When we start looking at life in this way, we'll give a benefit
00:36:39of doubt to the great wisdom that this country is putting for a sustained economic plan.
00:36:47Our economy is resilient. And let me tell you, if you go out to other places in Africa, I don't want
00:36:54to call the names, the economy is sustained entirely by foreigners. In this country, you go
00:37:00to industry in Rwanda, Cameroonians are the fortress of industry. That is a very powerful sign of
00:37:07resilient economy. You see Cameroonians have set up industries about transforming sugar, about many,
00:37:14many agro industries, but even in mining, because they take technology, take equipment,
00:37:28and make sure that the people with this equipment are rather employees and they are not shareholders.
00:37:35So we have a resilient economy that is based on reality with the participation of Cameroonians.
00:37:41I think that when people look at life in a comparative way as to indexes in other countries,
00:37:49they will be more fair in their judgement. Let me ask the question in another format.
00:37:55Take two countries, one hypothetical country, A, and Cameroon, which have the same potential in
00:38:01terms of mining resources, and an investor wants to come. Why would he prefer Cameroon?
00:38:07Cameroon is a stable country. Let me tell you, we have somebody with very few resources,
00:38:14I mean, Democratic Republic of Congo. People have to. When you go out there, you are saying, well,
00:38:20let me go, the worst is the worst. And that influences cobalt prices in the world,
00:38:27because when there is instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo, cobalt prices
00:38:31are going to be affected, because it's a major by-product of the mining of copper.
00:38:38But when you have to do with a country that is stable in terms of governance, in terms of so
00:38:46many things, already it's a decisive factor about where to go. When you have to do with a country
00:38:53where there is good legislation about taxation, about incentives, there are some areas,
00:38:59I'll give you an example where we are trying to correct. Our export tax, for example, for diamonds
00:39:05is very high, it's 16%, and we have put it very clearly to finance that we have to bring it down,
00:39:11because if our neighbours are having 5%, 4%, we are driving away people from using our country
00:39:20to export through the Kimberley process. But if we are competitive, then we will not drive people
00:39:28to do illegal export of that product. So we balance the act, we watch and see what it is.
00:39:36So when there is a dynamism to always do checks and balances, it makes us attractive. I can give
00:39:45you so many reasons, I've already given you the reason of our natural position, where if you
00:39:52produce here you will have a big market. Talking about the peace, somebody can point to
00:39:57the North and South West and say it's sedative. Well, I was recently in the South West and even
00:40:04with that I can tell you there's no reason why TECO should not be part of the Douala industrial
00:40:10zone. It is not in the interest of anybody, I think even with that... Why TECO is attractive?
00:40:17Oh, because it is a continuation of the Douala industrial zone. It has a huge agro-industrial
00:40:24basin. CDC should transform 70% of what they are producing. Every time a country is going to be
00:40:33based on the exportation of raw materials, it's not going to translate into riches. Riches are
00:40:40made where industry, secondary and tertiary sectors come into play. So I think, well, you might say
00:40:52there is some regions in Cameroon where they are upheavals, but generally I think Cameroon
00:41:03are internal strifes. And I'm saying that even with that we have managed to get industry going
00:41:08on in the South West. The proof was that. And recently we have made a repertoire of everybody
00:41:14who was working illegally and brought them into the forefront, because despite what you find,
00:41:21there's still a lot that is going on in the most adaptable zone to industry, which is TECO,
00:41:27which has a direct continuation with Douala. So we cannot index Cameroon as a country at war or
00:41:34anything. There are internal turbulences, which in Nigeria you have states where Boko Haram and
00:41:40the rest. In Guinea you have those things in many countries. But overall I don't think that you can
00:41:47say that Cameroon is a country at war. No, I don't think so. Now, you are attracting investors
00:41:54to come to this country. And recently, not too long ago, we had Jovic that ran into difficulties
00:41:59because two of the shareholders were having, had, were at loggerheads. Now, you are the
00:42:07minister that watches over all of this. What effort, what contribution did you make to bring
00:42:13about, you know, peace so that Jovic, for instance, could work harmoniously?
00:42:20One of the things that we are doing as an innovation is to restructure companies. If you
00:42:26look at the case of Mbalam, it's a restructuring. We restructure companies and bring in viable
00:42:33partners. Most of these projects started, it's the nature of the industry, it's dynamic. You get
00:42:39junior companies coming to start something. And very soon you see that that thing is bigger than,
00:42:45they cannot carry it. And what we do as a responsible government is not to drive away
00:42:51people, otherwise you plunge into litigation. We restructure. And that is what we are trying
00:42:57to do in Jovic. I can tell you that we are restructuring. The little thing that hampered
00:43:03for the deals to be restructured was because Cobalt had a small drop in price. And that
00:43:10meant that some people had to watch. But Jovic is under restructuring and will be restructured
00:43:17to be a flagship company. So that's what we do. We don't necessarily go into companies
00:43:25to settle disputes. But when we see that, I'll give you the case of the Bauxite project. It
00:43:31was held by people that did not represent anything. We had to walk inside and determine
00:43:39that somebody who had 19% shares had to take a controlling interest in the company. If you do
00:43:45not have a controlling interest in a company, there's no project. Because the controlling
00:43:51is a person who will go and negotiate the finance and make sure that. So when the person
00:43:55with a controlling interest is weak, it is our duty to make sure that we sit down,
00:44:01restructure the company, and make sure that the interests of everybody, including the state,
00:44:05is protected. So that will be coming up in Jovic. Okay, Mr. Minister, I'm going to allow you to
00:44:10catch a glass of water for us to take our second appointment in the program. During the New Year
00:44:15wishes ceremony, President Paul Bia gave his vision of the world to the diplomats who were
00:44:23gathered at the Unity Palace. And of course, other Cameroonians reacted on their participation
00:44:30at the event. He put all of this together. Charles Ebude.
00:44:36The Ambassadorial Hall of the Unity Palace this Friday, January 10, 2025. Already seated here are
00:44:55High Commissioners, Ambassadors, and Chargés d'Affaires, plus representatives of international
00:45:02organizations accredited in Cameroon. They are here for the last New Year wishes ceremony to
00:45:08President Paul Bia before the next presidential elections this year in Cameroon. President Paul
00:45:15Bia begins his New Year wishes toast to the diplomatic corps with the message of gratitude
00:45:21to these plenipotentiaries destined to their masters for their collective support,
00:45:26which led to the election of former Prime Minister, the current Grand Chancellor,
00:45:31Philemon Young, as President of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
00:45:43I am pleased to say that, thanks to the support of your various countries, the said candidacy was
00:45:50successful. I wish to thank your various governments and the international community.
00:46:00Aware of the fact that more than 200,000 people were killed last year by conflicts,
00:46:06the head of state called for unity and dialogue to enhance global peace endeavors.
00:46:12Pour ma part, j'incline à penser que la persistance
00:46:17I believe that nationalism, surging unilateralism at the expense of multilateralism
00:46:25and the non-respect of international rules explain this situation.
00:46:31Sans autant de facteurs qui peuvent expliquer cette situation.
00:46:38And with 2024 as the hottest in recorded memory, President Paul Bia called for a
00:46:46synergy of actions to tackle one of the world's greatest challenges, climate change.
00:46:52Les catastrophes naturelles sont venues ces derniers mois.
00:46:57Recent natural disasters attest the gravity of climate change.
00:47:02We are in a pressing dilemma. We either act together now or perish together in the long run.
00:47:14A living testimony of the cataclysmic outcomes
00:47:17of the atomic bomb used in the Second World War, Paul Bia denounced
00:47:22the recurrent use of the nuclear language in today's global discourse.
00:47:32Terrorism, despite our collective efforts, continued.
00:47:37A nuclear war with terrible human outcomes is evident in our uncertain world today.
00:47:48President Paul Bia parted with the plus 80 members of the Diplomatic Corps in Cameroon
00:47:55to join the national dignitaries for a speechless event,
00:47:59that of New Year wishes from the National Constituted Corps.
00:48:04I found President very relaxed, very happy to be with us, very happy to talk with
00:48:12everybody and we are very, very, very happy.
00:48:22About 400 people exchanged pleasantries with the head of state
00:48:27in this electoral year on a wide range of national topics.
00:48:31It was very wonderful and I saw our president very open, very glad and
00:48:43I got the privilege to talk a bit with him. It was a good conversation and I hope that
00:48:50the main message is to continue to serve our nation in the spirit of peace,
00:48:58because without peace we cannot grow, anything cannot be able.
00:49:03The peace is really a necessity for us to continue to serve the nation, to continue to
00:49:13let our nation continue its development and to give sociability to everybody.
00:49:20So I think that the main value for our Cameroon now, especially in this year 2025,
00:49:29is to serve the peace and to promote it absolutely.
00:49:33Their clergy, members of government, the business class and others had a sense of
00:49:39fulfilment with their president. He is strong, it's natural.
00:49:45I don't think that having his age, somebody can be standing up for so long.
00:49:55It's a personal God-given. So this is his personal quality.
00:50:06We are not imitative, he doesn't need nothing.
00:50:10And lastly, it's a political year for Cameroonians.
00:50:13You are a political figure, how are you preparing for the year?
00:50:18I have nothing to prepare. It's Cameroonian people who has to be mature and to know
00:50:29what kind of path, of road to choose for the best, for the best future.
00:50:39And I think it will be okay forever.
00:50:43This year's New Year Wishes event at the State House
00:50:47was like in previous occasions, a moment of national communion.
00:51:01Mr Minister, no matter how we look at this, all of these projects are intended to improve
00:51:09the living conditions of the population, either the local population or the extended
00:51:17Cameroonian population in terms of taxes and royalties that are paid.
00:51:22Legal arsenal that you have put in place, one does not seem to understand much about
00:51:29the local content and the corporate social responsibility of those mining companies
00:51:39that are coming to invest. How much of this has been factored in,
00:51:43in the licenses, the contracts that you signed with these structures?
00:51:49Well, I think going back to the speech of the head of state, President Paul Biya's aspirations
00:51:57is to make sure that the youth of this country has faith, has a place where he feels comfortable.
00:52:10And this is the policy we're implementing. The local content is a very important part
00:52:15of every mining convention. We do not only end at sitting in Yaounde to take decisions,
00:52:23we go out to the people, what projects will be. Sometimes they are not even capable of
00:52:30identifying those projects and we call experts as to what is happening to other countries
00:52:35so that it is, if I tell you what is put around the Balaam project as local content,
00:52:41it's unbelievable. So all the projects have worked in a way that besides the royalties
00:52:50that will be paid, and I once said to you in a similar program that the mayors of some towns
00:52:56where these projects are found need to get financial expertise because they cannot manage
00:53:01the type of sums that will be paid into such councils. So I think local content is one of
00:53:09the biggest innovations that this mining code has brought out and I think it's fully in line
00:53:16with the president's vision that the worth of this country, what comes out of it in terms of
00:53:26its potential is meant first to give Cameroonians an assurance of belonging
00:53:37into their country. It doesn't end up only in that locality, the rest of it comes as
00:53:46what is paid into the national treasury which again is ploughed into decentralization into
00:53:51the rest of the nation. I think we have a working system. I think people have to give
00:53:57time, mining has just started, it's a new impetus in the economy and I think we are going to see
00:54:06the benefits, especially in communities where this is taking place because
00:54:11you know, petroleum is riding the sea, but here we are dealing with something happening where
00:54:18people are living and of course the impact must be felt in a particular way.
00:54:25When I listen, Mr Manlisi is the head of state, he talks about corruption in the country which is
00:54:31in some cases gangrenous and the mining sector, it happens that by its nature
00:54:40most of the time is opaque, the activities are opaque, even you know the concessions,
00:54:45the MOUs are opaque. Now how much visibility, transparency have you brought into this area
00:54:55either in terms of the legislation or the operational adaptations so that our mine,
00:55:03our solid minerals, in this case solid minerals, do not become a cause to this country?
00:55:11Well, we are under the extractive initiative transparency
00:55:20EITI, but besides that I want to say most of the time there's a lot of information that
00:55:27Cameroonians do not get access to. That's why you are here to give the information? Everything
00:55:33about every mining convention is published on our website. You can go out there, explore it
00:55:40and that's why we have prepared simple documents to give to paramedics to understand what we're
00:55:45doing. So there's a lot and it's a field that people have to get used to. If you go to South
00:55:52Africa, if you go to Ghana, if you go to even Democratic people have been used to this industry
00:55:59so they have a better grasp and knowledge of it. I'm asking on Cameroonians to make themselves
00:56:05available. This information is published. We negotiate these conventions with the civil society,
00:56:12with every parliamentarians, everybody. They give their viewpoints. It's not something that a
00:56:18minister of mine will sit somewhere and write and publish. The laws that you see coming into
00:56:24play in 2024 under the new code were meant to bring more transparency. There's a commission
00:56:31that seeks to give out mining licenses and the criteria are simple and set. This committee is
00:56:37even inter-ministerial. So everything we do, in fact, if any time we, the national mining company,
00:56:46the rules are defined. The ministry of mines is about mining policy. The national mining
00:56:53company is about commercialization of mining products and if we say that
00:56:5910% of everything mined from Balaam is going to be the state, it's so clear. Cameroonians can check.
00:57:06I think the more we are getting into the law promulgated by President Paul Biya this year,
00:57:14it all moves to making the industry more transparent, available for questioning by everybody.
00:57:23People have the right. People have gone and said, made false declarations or this is,
00:57:28but when we explain to them, they retract. They found that they had the right knowledge and we
00:57:33want people to make themselves, to assess our information centers and even through programs
00:57:42like this. Most of the time I'm always available because it's our duty to keep telling the public
00:57:49and informing them and saying that ours is transparent. There's nothing. We receive people.
00:57:55In fact, in my ministry, Thursday is an open day. You don't even need an audience. We receive
00:58:01everybody to explain. We go to the field, execute activities. We make sure that all the documents
00:58:08are signed, but there's also an interaction to get a feedback. So I employ everybody, directors,
00:58:15the secretary-general, myself. We make ourselves available. Those companies that are already
00:58:21enlisted, we call them the diamond club. They don't even need an audience to see a director,
00:58:29the secretary-general or the minister because we are reaching out to investors. So I think we are
00:58:35open and every Cameroonian wants to know more about industry. Go to our website, come to our
00:58:42ministry, and there's nothing that we do that is not meant for public consumption.
00:58:48That is why we say that if you want to know the truth, come to inside the presidency,
00:58:54and that's why you are here, Mr. Minister, to give Cameroonians just the truth of what is happening.
00:59:01Now, the president said that in all of this you have to master the marketing channels.
00:59:08Yes. So that, Dan, that's my own extrapolation, so that money should not get into their own
00:59:15pockets. Exactly. And so that we don't lose money like the case of blood diamonds. Yeah.
00:59:24How much resources? Let me give you just how I just said it in the preceding,
00:59:31the Ministry of Mines as a ministry is focused on policy definition. The commercialisation and
00:59:39follow-up is by the national mining company. Now, this is a very intricate industry. In the industry
00:59:46you have what is called hedging. Now, as we are talking about iron ore, the reason why you see us
00:59:52rushing with all these projects is because if we do not enter quickly into the iron ore market,
00:59:57there's a big project in West Africa, Simando. If it starts before us, they'll occupy the whole
01:00:03market, and our marketing strategy, the iron ore will be flooded in the market. So we have to rush.
01:00:08We have to rush and present ourselves. That's why we are taking steps that already we should be
01:00:15known that Cameroon can sign deals and sell this iron ore ahead. Are you ready? Of course. That is
01:00:22what, in hedging, you use your product to even finance the mine. These companies will do it,
01:00:29but we have Sonamin, with whom we work, we have interactions, and right now Sonamin is already
01:00:36taking its place inside these companies. Sonamin is already a shareholder in Cameroon Mining Company,
01:00:44in Camalco, in Sino Steel, in all these companies that have started production,
01:00:53because they are our eyes. And when Sonamin will receive what comes to it, they can develop
01:01:01a strategy to market this ore themselves, or they can simply collect the equivalent in monetary
01:01:08terms for state treasury. So the rules are clearly divided, and all this effective dividing of rule
01:01:15is to make sure that we have a transparent industry. I abhor the idea of a mining ministry
01:01:23being involved in things about gold and the rest. We hand that to the National Mining Company.
01:01:29So the rules are defined. And even with that, Sonamin, we're going to South Africa.
01:01:36Sonamin is involved in being current, with current market trends. We also do our own projections.
01:01:44And so there is a lot that the head of state said in his speech, which we are applying. And that was
01:01:51a very wise statement by President Paul. He had to say, it doesn't only take to develop mining,
01:01:57it doesn't only take to move into a phase, you must have marketing strategies. And it is the core
01:02:03of the mining industry, because marketing is part of financing mining projects.
01:02:09Very interesting, Mr. Minister. Before we run off, this is a very interesting conversation, I must say.
01:02:14Let us have the last portion of the program. We'll go back to the palace for
01:02:19glamour, elegance, and of course, female class art. As various dignitaries went to say,
01:02:26Happy New Year to the First Lady of Cameroon, Madame Chantal Bière, at the East Wing of the
01:02:35Unity Palace, as she tells us. Aye, belle.
01:02:49Warm and welcoming, but also sophisticated and refined was the East Wing of the Unity Palace,
01:02:55richly adorned in use of pink, gold, and red. A fairy-like environment with symbols of sweetness,
01:03:02love, and compassion, embodied by the First Lady, Mrs. Chantal Bière,
01:03:07whose guests, friends, close aides, and family members had all come to wish her well.
01:03:19Delightful moments for the ladies, warmly greeted by the First Lady,
01:03:23who surprised them with a first round of the canopies before the ceremony unfolded
01:03:28in the magnificent Oriental Saloon of the Unity Palace, and with spouses of members of the
01:03:34Diplomatic Corps, a delegation of about 80 women, led by Mrs. Wu Ying, wife of the Ambassador of
01:03:41China to Cameroon, Vice Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, who presented the bouquet of flowers from
01:03:47the spouses of heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Yaoundé. Flowers, but also words
01:03:54of appreciation from the women, also members of the Circle of Friends of Cameroon's Iraq,
01:03:59for the immense humanitarian work carried out by the First Lady to alleviate the suffering
01:04:04of the underprivileged and needy through her human-centered organization. Appreciation which
01:04:10came with words of support and encouragement, visibly, warmly received by Mrs. Chantal Bière,
01:04:16as she exchanged handshakes with the spouses of high commissioners, ambassadors,
01:04:21chargés d'affaires and representatives of international organizations residing in the
01:04:26country. All of this immortalized in photo and in a very lively atmosphere with the First Lady,
01:04:33sharing pleasantries and drinks, toasting to strengthening connections and building new ones
01:04:39with the spouses of diplomats recently accredited to Cameroon. Memorable moments also lived in an
01:04:45adjourning saloon of the Oriental Saloon of the Unity Palace, where the First Lady
01:04:50also shared some delicacies with her guests. A celebration of friendship ties with souvenir
01:05:01gifts of Cameroon, presented to the ladies by Mrs. Chantal Bière.
01:05:06Poised and unreserved, tireless and so charming, First Lady Mrs. Chantal Bière received her sisters
01:05:31with open arms and with flowers and warm words first came Mrs. Anastazine Kili at the head of
01:05:37the delegation of the spouses of Bureau members of the Senate, one closely followed by Mrs.
01:05:42Fadima Tukavai, wife of the House Speaker of the National Assembly, who led the spouses of the
01:05:48Bureau members of the August House. Mrs. Aminatou Bello, wife of the Minister of State, Minister of
01:05:54Tourism and Leisure, piloted the third delegation of spouses of Cabinet members and those ranking
01:06:00as such. Mrs. Micheline Ayang led the delegation of spouses of the Economic and Social Council,
01:06:06while Helena Tangana, spouse of the President of the Constitutional Council, came with the
01:06:10spouses of members of the Regulatory Organ. The wives of Bureau members of the Supreme Court were
01:06:16led by Mrs. Arne Jodok, wife of the Procureur General of the Said Court. And at the fore of
01:06:21spouses of members of the Political Bureau of the CPDM was Mrs. Kwetek, wife of the Secretary
01:06:27General of the Central Committee of the CPDM. Mrs. Yawo Aissatou, President of the Women's
01:06:33Wing of the CPDM, came at the head of the delegation of members of the National Bureau
01:06:37of the Women's Wing of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement. The delegation of women
01:06:43serving in the National Assembly was headed by Honorable Mary Munyali Mboka, Deputy Speaker
01:06:49of the August House, while her counterpart of the Senate, Senator Dean Bell, led the delegation of
01:06:54women senators, among whom was Senator Regina Mundi. Then came the delegation of Yawonde 1 and
01:07:012, represented by Mrs. Marie-Laure Omba, wife of the Rector of the University of Yawonde 2.
01:07:08Mrs. Nasseri Elmin, wife of the Governor of the Central Region, led the delegation of the spouses
01:07:14of administrative and traditional authorities, while Mrs. Marie-Noire Meyenga, Mayor of the
01:07:20Afonloum Council in the Mefouane Afamba Division, was heading the delegation of female mayors.
01:07:25Handshakes, hugs and pleasantries also shared with Mrs. Betsy Asomo Raen Felicite, wife of the
01:07:31Minister Delegate at the Presidency, in charge of Defense, who led the delegation of spouses of top
01:07:37officials in the Central Administration of the Ministry of Defense. The wives of top officials
01:07:44of the Defense Headquarters were led by Mrs. Simeka, spouse of the Chief of Defense Staff.
01:07:49The spouses of generals admitted to the 2nd Division were led by Mrs. Semenge. Next came
01:07:55Nathalie Modiki, wife of the Managing Director of the National Hydrocarbons Corporation, who guided
01:08:01the delegation of spouses of top officials managing public and para-public enterprises.
01:08:07A delegation followed by that of the spouses of top functionaries working at the Presidency
01:08:13of the Republic, and at whose fore was Mrs. Ngongo, wife of the Minister of State, Secretary
01:08:19General of the Presidency of the Republic. Mrs. Angeline Do, Deputy General Coordinator of the
01:08:25Circle of Friends of Cameroon-CERAC, led the delegation of the Humanitarian Association
01:08:30established by the First Lady, Mrs. Chantal Bia, and which has, for the past close to 30 decades,
01:08:37been playing a pivotal role in helping the underprivileged and needy in Cameroon and beyond.
01:08:43Leading the Chantal Bia Foundation was Mr. Jean-Stéphane Biatcha, Deputy Secretary General
01:08:49of the Foundation, who also led that of CRACER, the Yaoundé-based Hospital Center for Applied
01:08:55Research, Endoscopic Surgery and Human Reproduction, managed by Professor Jean-Marie Kassia.
01:09:01Mr. Jean-Stéphane Biatcha, Executive Secretary of African Synergy, also came with the staff of
01:09:07the Executive Secretariat of the Pan-African Organization, also established by Mrs. Chantal
01:09:13Bia, to, among others, fight HIV and AIDS, and with the Executive Secretary was also the personnel
01:09:19of the International Reference Research Center, the CIRCB, managed by Professor Alexis Njolo.
01:09:26The delegation of the spouses of trade union leaders was led by Mrs. Njanga Nkondo,
01:09:31spouse of the President of the Industrial Union of Cameroon. The delegation of NGOs was led by
01:09:37Mrs. Clementine Sono, while the strong delegation of businesswomen came of Senator Agnes Ntubendole
01:09:44Epus Njok, President of the Association of Businesswomen in Cameroon, GEFAC. Then came
01:09:51women in the media, microphone and print media stars, a delegation of female journalists led by
01:09:57Marie-Claire Nana, General Manager of SuperCam, before the delegation of special guests led by
01:10:03Mrs. Patricia Njongo, with friends and acquaintances of the First Lady, seizing the moment to extend
01:10:09their best wishes for the year to Mrs. Chantal Bia. The First Lady, enjoying every single moment
01:10:16with her guests, also received the delegation of Mbaka Bororo, led by Mrs. Ayi Satu. Memorable
01:10:23moments for the ladies and the First Lady, Mrs. Chantal Bia, who received family members, among
01:10:29them her son, her daughter-in-law, her grandchildren and her dad, over four long, exciting hours to
01:10:36celebrate the new year, as well as gains acquired and consolidated in fighting poverty in Cameroon
01:10:43and beyond.
01:11:13That is also part of your portfolio. The mining aspect has overshadowed
01:11:17the industrial aspect. Mr. Minister, I would like to speak to that.
01:11:21Yes, I think I earlier talked of value chains, that we don't want to be an exporter of raw
01:11:29materials. Our industries are moving? Moving. In fact, the year was crowned with the Prime
01:11:35Minister going to inaugurate the transformation plan for iron ore. That's foresight. I mean,
01:11:41I'm not, I just want to say that sometimes they say leaders are God-chosen. President
01:11:47Paul Bia has a vision, and most of the things which he says, we come at that time to see that
01:11:53it was like reading into the future. Because if I take the case of bauxite...
01:11:59That's planning, and this is not a socia...
01:12:01Exactly. If you take bauxite dust and sell it, you'll be selling it for $30. If you transform it
01:12:09to alumina, you move to $300 and something. If you transform it further to aluminium,
01:12:16you move to thousands of dollars. That is how our industry is based on two hinge policies,
01:12:23import substitution and development of value chains. That means we want to consume a lot of
01:12:32what we are producing and inhibit things that we ought to do. There are simple things we can do.
01:12:37I was in Douala the other time. We are producing gas bottles. Do you know how many? I stood in the
01:12:43factory and they produced a couple in front of me. We are able in just one factory to produce
01:12:481,500 gas bottles. These are some things that we used to have a whole... Let me tell you about
01:12:56cement. The President made it very clear about this. But I want to tell you that this first
01:13:03semester, we'll be adding two new cement factories, one in Edea.
01:13:08To make it?
01:13:09And if we add two that are redundant, that are not working, but three cement factories are being
01:13:16developed in Edea. So by the end of this year, if we bring back those cement factories and stuff
01:13:23like engine and the rest, Cameroon will be counting 12 cement factories. Industry is moving. We are
01:13:30going to have Camsteel start building the plant to start transforming iron ore, which will be
01:13:38supplied to the whole Central Africa. We are a powerhouse. We are going to supply tiles. And
01:13:46if it is only KEDA, it will be to the Central African Republic. When we add Kake, we will be
01:13:52a major producer of tiles in Africa. I can go on and on. But I want to say that our policy
01:14:01is to move away from a nation of selling raw materials. You see, we are recently, just two
01:14:08days ago, I inaugurated a cocoa plant in Yaounde. Yaounde, central region produces about 51% of
01:14:15Cameroon cocoa. It was not correct that there shouldn't be a transformation plant. Somebody
01:14:20has taken advantage of that. So we don't want to sell our cocoa in the raw form. We have moved to
01:14:2629.5%. Some years back, we were at barely 3%. So we are moving from an economy. That's why I keep
01:14:34saying CDC ought to radically change its ideology. I'm asking many people to make transformation of
01:14:43cocoa. Our cocoa is world top grade because we have made it a geographical indication.
01:14:50And I bet you by the time we go into ORPE to fully make this the third product after
01:14:59Penja, Pepe and Oko Honey, and then we move, we ratify the present, I defended it in parliament,
01:15:05where we will now be at the international level after Africa with all countries of the world.
01:15:13I don't know where our cocoa will reach. The potential is enormous for us to transform.
01:15:19And we have almost five to six companies transforming cocoa in Cameroon. So our
01:15:24industry is growing. I can only say Cameroon industry is at full expansion. And that expansion
01:15:32is led not just by foreign companies, Cameroonians are involved in the process
01:15:38of transformation in their own country. Mr. Minister, I must say you have ended very strongly.
01:15:43I hope that our viewers have been edified. I would like to thank you very much for the
01:15:51plenty of information that you have obliged us with.
01:15:56Listen, I want to thank you especially because as I say, these outings are very important because
01:16:03we are entering a new domain. And it's very important that our people are given the right
01:16:08information to understand. And I'm also privileged that I'm on your program on this
01:16:16very important part of the year. The pleasure is mine. Thank you, sir.
01:16:32Thanks, ladies and gentlemen, for watching. We hope you had your time worth watching this program.
01:16:40Until we meet again in another fortnight, stay blessed, stay safe, and goodbye.