allAfrica.com: Cameroon: Uphie Chinje Melo - 'Use of Local Material Will Reduce Pressure on Cement' (Page 1 of 1)

Cameroon: Uphie Chinje Melo - 'Use of Local Material Will Reduce Pressure on Cement'

Uphie Chinje Melo, Director of Local Material Promotion Authority (MIPROMALO), explains.

It is one year now since the Prime Minister signed a circular obliging the administration to construct public buildings of at least one storey with the use of local material. Are you satisfied with the level of implementation of this decision?

I will actually say I am not satisfied. In fact, if I say I am satisfied then I will be able to tell you what percentage of the total investment which ought to have gone into the sector have been used of. It is so negligible and that is the reason I feel the Prime Minister Head of government has come up with another circular calling the attention of all vote holders of the importance of local material. To me, this is a collective effort. We have seen where the country is now and we know the real problems at hand. We have serious economic problems and the use of local material will enable money to remain in the country while at the same time opening up job opportunities. In addition to this, presently the country is undergoing serious cement crisis which we think we have to fight against.

The Prime Minister in the circular explained clearly what we will gain by using local material. These materials abound and have an impact on our balance of trade. I am sure if this circular were applied, we wouldn't have been having the cement crisis we are having today. The reason is simple. The use of cement would have reduced by about one quarter if not less. For sure, we still do our foundations, pillars, etc with cement but its use will be significantly reduced. So, the use of local material will seriously reduce pressure on cement. A good number of the people might not be aware of it but all vote holders are people within the understanding of what the PM wants. I am sure he is addressing himself to them and not to the contractor or to the man on the street.

What can actually be responsible for the laxity with which the circular is being implemented?

If you read the circular, you will understand that the Head of government did asked that the technical specifications be drawn up by the Ministry of Public Works. That has already been done and the feedback had started coming in. Some vote holders, especially the Senior Divisional Officers, asked for the documents as late as early 2008 when they hade already given out contracts. That might have contributed to some extent; I wouldn't really comment on that. But I feel that the vote holders did not take it early enough as an issue. I am convinced the reminder of the PM will call their attention to sit up.

What has been done at the level of MIPROMALO itself to implement the circular?

Last year, we organized a sensitization workshop in which the media were largely represented and we had a big communication partnership with them. In fact, we did our best to let the people know that the circular is out and I am sure today, Cameroonians are really aware of it. I hope 2009 will bring more progress wherein the circular will be implemented to the latter.

Since the circular came out, we have signed a partnership with the Ministry of Public Works because the controllers of this ministry are the ones to make sure we respect the rules and regulations of the construction. We don't want it to be done in disorder. Today, even with the cement blocks, standards are not respected. The advantage with the compressed earth block is that since 2002 we have a Cameroonian standard. So what we will do with the Ministry of Public Works is to train their controllers so that on the field, they should be able to follow up what these contractors are doing. The advantage we have is that we have both mobile equipment and mobile staff that can move to any locality. We also have other technicians whom we have trained who are capable of training other people.

Can you give a practical example of a structure built with local material and how cheap it is compared to the one built with modern material?

For now, we are laying emphasis on wall construction. The roof and floor material will remain the same. On the wall alone, one finds himself making a savings of not less than 25 per cent. We have built two schools, one primary school with the residence of the director in Kribi. Another one in Melondo with a huge workshop, residence and administrative block, and many others and all these have led us to save not less than 25 per cent of what we would have spent. All these are because we have a double capacity of training the local technicians who easily adapt to the system.

Do you have the impression there are private structures on the field ready to accompany government in this process?

Sure. I have always recalled the fact that we have the stones that we simply have to reshape. If not, I come back to compressed earth blocks keeping aside burnt bricks. To build the Kribi project, that is, a six-room class, a residence and offices, we fabricated equipment in Cameroon which cost us CFA 1.2 million which we used in building this project. This equipment was manufactured by Cameroonians. Based on this, I don't think this is a problem. We have a company like APICA which manufactures equipment that cost barely CFA 400,000 and which we used for the construction of the pygmy camp in Mindourou.

Will there really be enough technicians to embrace this concept?

Yes, they are there. We have trained a good number of them. They are easy to train. While in Ambam during the local material open day, within a day we had trained so many of them. It is easy for some body that is already in the sector. In MIPROMALO now, we have over 20 technicians who at any moment could be used on diverse projects. We have a school in Bandjoun in the West province that has been producing students who are capable of building with local material. We have other structures in Bafoussam, Bertoua and other provinces that have been producing students who can use these materials.

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