• by IPS Correspondents (yaounde)
• Sunday, November 13, 1994
• Inter Press Service

YAOUNDE, Nov 13 (IPS) - A VISITING WORLD BANK EXPERT HAS DENIED THAT ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS AFFECTING DEVELOPING NATIONS LIKE CAMEROUN WERE DUE TO STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT AND BLAMED MISDIRECTED POLICIES INSTEAD.

"PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE SOCIAL SECTOR IN THE COUNTRY (CAMEROUN) ARE NOT AT ALL DUE TO ADJUSTMENT," JEROME CHEVALIER, WORLD BANK DIVISION CHIEF FOR COUNTRY OPERATIONS FOR THE CENTRAL AFRICAN SUB-REGION, SAID HERE THIS WEEK.

"ON THE CONTRARY, THEY ARE DUE TO NON-ADJUSTMENT. INVESTMENTS IN THIS SECTOR FOR A LONG TIME WERE LOW AND GENERALLY MISDIRECTED," CHEVALIER TOLD IPS DURING HIS FIRST VISIT TO THIS CENTRAL AFRICAN COUNTRY SINCE ASSUMING OFFICE ON OCT. 1, 1994.

HE REAFFIRMED THE BANK'S COMMITMENT TO WORKING WITH THIRD WORLD NATIONS TO HELP THEM OVERCOME THEIR ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES, ADDING THAT THE BANK DOES NOT IMPOSE POLICIES ON COUNTRIES.

"ALL THE PARTIES CONCERNED - RECIPIENT COUNTRIES, INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND DONORS - NEED TO COOPERATE BETTER, BUT PRIME RESPONSIBILITY RESTS WITH RECIPIENT COUNTRIES WHOSE DOMESTIC POLICIES CAN MAKE AID MORE EFFECTIVE," HE SAID.

CHEVALIER SAID HE WONDERED HOW EFFECTIVE THE BANK'S FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE CAN BE TO A COUNTRY LIKE CAMEROON, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN INVESTMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTED TO SECTORS SUCH AS HEALTH, EDUCATION AND TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE.

HIS STAND WAS SUPPORTED BY WORLD BANK RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPH INGRAM, WHO CRITICISED CAMEROUN'S EDUCATION POLICY WHICH TENDS TO NEGLECT PRIMARY EDUCATION AND EVERY YEAR CHURNS OUT THOUSANDS OF POORLY ORIENTED UNIVERSITY GRADUATES.

"IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT FOR SIX YEARS YOUR COUNTRY HAS NOT TRAINED ANY TEACHER FOR PRIMARY EDUCATION," HE TOLD IPS. "WITHOUT A GOOD FOUNDATION HOW CAN YOU EXPECT HIGHER EDUCATION TO BE EFFECTIVE?"

SINCE 1991, CAMEROUN'S GOVERNMENT HAS OPENED MANY PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS BUT HAS FAILED TO STAFF MOST OF THEM, FORCING PARENTS TO RECRUIT UNTRAINED PERSONS "TO ASSIST" PUPILS.

CHEVALIER ALSO NOTED THE DECLINING RATE OF ENROLMENT IN SCHOOLS. DURING THE 1993/94 SCHOOL YEAR, ENROLLMENT DROPPED BY 300,000 AND THAT FIGURE IS SAID TO HAVE DOUBLED DURING THE CURRENT YEAR. MOREOVER, THE NUMBER OF DROPOUTS KEEPS RISING.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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