US Ambassador to Cameroon, Neils Marquardt, has enumerated conditions that Cameroon must fulfil before qualifying for US aid under the Millennium Challenge Account, MCA, the most ambitious American overseas development programme after the post-World War II Marshall Plan.

Speaking at a press conference in Yaounde, January 25, Marquardt said Cameroon has not yet qualified for the MCA that currently provides five billion dollars of aid each year, "to those nations that rule most justly, most invest in their people and most encourage economic reform." He said for Cameroon to qualify for MCA aid, it must carry out reforms like cutting red tape, developing a tax system that gives incentives for investment, developing land, air and sea transport, immunising the population against certain diseases, amongst other conditions.

Marquardt had already spoken about the MCA when he addressed the American Business Association on January 11 in Douala. In that address, he said, "Investment by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the public entity that operates the MCA, draws lessons learned about development over the past 50 years.

We now know that aid and investment are more effective when they reinforce sound political, economic and social policies in the receiving country." He was, however, optimistic that Cameroon would eventually qualify to receive aid under the MCA programme.

"The aid from the MCA focuses specifically on promoting sustainable economic growth, reducing poverty and rewarding governments that rule justly.

The type of environment in which MCA chooses to invest is developing in Cameroon, and realising Cameroon's 'great ambitions' will bring this country toward the MCA threshold," the Ambassador said. At the press conference, Maquardt reaffirmed his earlier commitment to do everything possible to help President Paul Biya achieve his "great ambitions.

" He said he would be travelling to the US Military Command in Europe next week and subsequently to Washington where he will meet with officials of the State Department and Treasury Department.

There, he would put through Cameroon's case so that the government could have the utmost support from the US to achieve Biya's "great ambitions". He said Cameroon needs to change its investment code to make the country more business friendly.

He was, however, happy that parliament is already in the process of doing so and hoped there would be a new investment code as soon as possible.

On corruption, Maquardt said the actions by Inoni's government are encouraging. He said corruption was not peculiar to Cameroon, but government must do more to combat this ill.

He said the fight against corruption has to be on a permanent basis, citing the US where public workers are regularly reminded about what the government expects of them.

Tourism The US Ambassador said he has travelled to all of Cameroon's provinces by land except the Far North that he plans to visit in March. He said he has realised that Cameroon is truly "Africa in miniature" and has a great tourism potential.

He said Cameroon needs to develop its tourism industry. But for tourism to take off, Cameroon needs to develop its transport network, especially air transport.

A better transport system, he said, would not only help tourists travel more easily within Cameroon, but also enable Cameroonians move more fluidly from one part of their country to another.

Democracy And Human Rights On democracy, Marquardt said Cameroon needs to reinforce its democracy, especially the electoral system. He said he was very disappointed by the fact that many Cameroonians who wanted to vote in the October 2004 presidential polls could not cast their votes because their names were not on the voters' register.

He said they will be monitoring the human rights situation in Cameroon to find out whether the it is improving or deteriorating.