Minister Mbah Acha Rose and stakeholders in CSOs
The Minister Delegate at the Presidency in Charge of the Supreme State Audit, Mbah Acha Rose, presided over the opening ceremony of the CONSUPE-Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) cooperative platform on Thursday, December 10, 2020.
The meeting between the CONSUPE-CSOs platform was jointly organized by CONSUPE and the Extractive Industries Surveillance Improvement Project (PASIE). The aim was to improve governance and policies within the extractive industries.
This meeting followed the partnership signed between CONSUPE and several Civil Society Organisations active in monitoring and strengthening financial governance and transparency in Cameroon’s extractive industries.
During the opening ceremony, Minister Mbah Acha Rose emphasized that civil society organisations are vital partners in CONSUPE’s oversight of public funds management.
“Today, we are meeting with them to strengthen our cooperation and collaboration because we realized that we share the same goals—accountability, transparency, and ensuring the protection of our citizens. This meeting reassures them that we are working together in synergy to achieve more for the public,” said Minister Mbah Acha Rose.
She also expressed her gratitude to Global Affairs Canada for funding the PASIE project, which has contributed to improving performance in the extractive industries sector.
Revitalizing the CONSUPE-National CSOs cooperation platform by capitalizing on synergies that enhance public finance management in Cameroon, particularly in the mining sector, is a top objective. Another goal is to strengthen public finance management surveillance by increasing communication between CONSUPE and CSOs.
After the opening ceremony, Martin Tsounkeu, President of the Civil Society Organisations in the cooperation platform, stated that their role is to support the government in protecting public wealth, though they face challenges.
“The main challenge we are addressing is achieving a common understanding. It took some time to reach this point, but as the Minister mentioned, we are moving toward a better understanding and collaboration. Another challenge is the lack of resources needed to be more effective, which is why we are grateful for the PASIE project. We hope it will provide the necessary support for us to advance this initiative,” said Martin Tsounkeu of the African Development Interchange Network, who also serves as President of the CSOs in the platform.
The two-day meeting aims to reflect on the mechanisms needed for CSOs to monitor audit results and other activities. Despite challenges, the CSOs acknowledge the progress CONSUPE has made, though some setbacks remain.