Paul Tasong, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Economy, Panning and Regional Development in charge of Planning, presided over the first working sessions of the Steering Committees of the Support Programme for Regional and National Infrastructure Governance in Central Africa (PAGIRN) and the Support Programme for Regional Integration and Investment in Central Africa (PAIRIAC), on 2 and 3 February 2023.

These deliberations aimed for members of the Steering Committee to take stock of the state of project implementation and validate results in order to formulate strategic guidelines in the light of the new “Global Gateway” investment strategy and the recent European Union financial instrument code-named “Global Europe”.
Opening the session on 2 February 2023 in Douala, Paul TASONG, Minepat’s Minister Delegate, revealed that “although there is a consensus that infrastructure promotes growth and development, the integration process, which is a challenge for the incorporation of Central African economies into global value chains, is highly dependent on development regional infrastructure”. In the same vein, Paul TASONG noted that Central Africa stands out on the African continent for having the weakest infrastructure network, with a negative impact on the social conditions and well-being of the populations.
Financed to the tune of 20 million euros by the Regional Indicative Programme of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), PAGIRN aims to improve the sustainability of investments and ensure greater efficiency in regional and national economic infrastructures for transport, energy and information as well as communication technologies, through the implementation of specific structuring activities and enhanced governance in these sectors.
In addition, the Support Programme for Regional Integration and Investment in Central Africa (PAIRIAC) makes it possible to support the 2023 rationalisation dynamic of regional organisations, while facilitating the effective implementation of trade at intra-regional level and with the EU, also acting on the business climate and access to financing. Upon opening COPIL PAIRIAC on 3 February 2023 in Douala, MINDEL MINEPAT indicated that “the dynamics of inclusive and sustainable development to which the countries of Central Africa are committed requires strong integration at the sub-regional level. The volume of trade clearly illustrates the amount of work that remains to be done.” Let us recall that PAIRIAC is financed to the tune of 27 million Euro by the Regional Indicative Programme of the 11th European Development Fund. Its objective overall is to boost regional integration and competitiveness to foster and accelerate growth and sustainable employment development in Central Africa. The opportunity offered by this Regional Integration and Investment Support Programme in Central Africa should enable us develop the necessary infrastructure to support Central Africa, so that it can join the other sub-regions of Africa in achieving the objectives of the African Union by 2063”, said Paul TASONG to the press.
At the end of the proceedings, MINDEL MINEPAT recommended that members of the steering committees set up policies that will guarantee the implementation of guidelines formulated during the Douala meeting in the various states of the Central African sub-region. He equally suggested that other ECCAS member states that are not members of the Development Bank of Central African States (BDEAC) should contribute to enable the financial institution to strengthen its capacities in its mission of financing investment and development in Central Africa.
The Douala meeting was attended by the Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Trade of the Democratic Republic of Congo, representatives of the Presidents of the CEMAC Commission, CAEU Commission, the European Union Delegation in Cameroon, administrations of the Central African countries concerned by the areas of intervention of the regional programmes, heads of the EU delegations accredited to the Central African countries, and representatives of the private sector and civil society.
The first sessions of the PAGIRN and PAIRIAC steering committees were held following the high-level workshop on the presentation of the “Global Gateway” investment strategy and the European Union’s new “Global Europe” financial instrument. These activities were part of a week of regional meetings on the Central Africa and European Union partnership, held from 31 January to 3 February 2023, in the sidelines of the visit to Cameroon of Myriam Ferran, the Deputy Director General of the Directorate General for International Partnerships at the European Commission.