By Doh James Sonkey
The National Forum on the management of urban waste resources has ended in Yaounde with participants adopting concrete recommendations to change the paradigm, tasking Municipal authorities to organise within a week, special clean up operations implicating quarter mobilisation committees and associations.
This was one of the recommendations arrived at the end of the National Forum that ended last May 7, 2025, chaired by the representative of the Prime Minister/Head of Government, Minister Celestine Ketcha Courtes of Housing and Urban Development, in the presence of the Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development, George Elanga Obam, Centre Regional Governor, Naseri Paul Bea among others.
Speaking at the closing, the Housing and Urban Development boss congratulated participants for the pertinent recommendations arrived at after two days of intense deliberations. She said they also recommended that ‘‘a special account be created to ensure the transfer of effective resources (sitting allowances, other subventions) to Local Councils and Urban Councils, that a global reform for funding be put in place to better manage waste production sources: a working group of MINFI, MINHDU, MINDDEVEL, MINEPAT, MINMAP, CAA, FEICOM, Mayors’ representative to propose within 3 months to government what to do. They opted for an increase in pre-garbage packets to councils and Urban Councils budgeting. That urban councils should prepare to sign contracts for 1 year for urban waste resources management etc.
They equally recommended that platforms for the collection of urban waste resources in the cities of Yaounde and Douala be constructed this year 2025, that garbage cans be eliminated along the streets.
Due to infrastructure deficit which created price hike to remove garbage with support from World donors, a programme for the construction of garbage transfer and treatment centres will be welcomed.
Other recommendations were also adopted such as; integrate solid waste in urban cleaning programmes, identify and secure forest reserves for construction infrastructure sites for waste management, incite councils to selective household garbage management, increase the use of recycling materials in urban projects, that sanctions previewed by the Law be enforced in matters of hygiene and sanitation and be raised from FCFA 5000 to FCFA 25 000 etc.
Co-hosted by MINHDU and MINDDEVEL, the meeting in the large hall of the Regional Council for the Centre welcomed stakeholders in their numbers, all burning with the same desire, to once and for all craft effective solutions to waste issues in our cities. After the opening ceremony, the afternoon was dedicated to break out sessions till late in the evening.