CEMAC zone and its backwardness

The Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa better known by its French language acronym (CEMAC) is an organization of states of Central Africa established to promote economic integration among countries that share a common currency, the CFA franc. CEMAC is the successor of the Customs and Economic Union of Central Africa (UDEAC), which it completely superseded in June 1999 (through an agreement from 1994). Its member states are Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon

By Yemti Harry Ndienla

CEMAC's objectives are the promotion of trade, the institution of a genuine common market, and greater solidarity among peoples and towards under-privileged countries and regions. In 1994, it succeeded in introducing quota restrictions and reductions in the range and amount of tariffs. Currently, CEMAC countries share a common financial, regulatory, and legal structure, and maintain a common external tariff on imports from non-CEMAC countries. In theory, tariffs have been eliminated on trade within CEMAC, but full implementation of this has been delayed. Movement of capital within CEMAC is free.

On January 24, 2003, the European Union (EU) concluded a financial agreement with ECCAS and CEMAC, conditional on ECCAS and CEMAC merging into one organization, with ECCAS taking responsibility for the peace and security of the sub-region through its security pact COPAX. Though CEMAC is not one of the pillars of the African Economic Community, its members are associated with it through Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

But it is however regrettable that the CEMAC zone pales in front of all the other sub-regions in Africa when it comes to the level of development. When all development parameters are considered, the CEMAC zone is very backward.
Unlike other sub-regions in Africa, there is no sub-regional market in the CEMAC zone and the movement of goods and persons is still heavily restricted. In addition, countries in the CEMAC zone don’t keep to timetables and the governments lack the political will to implement sub-regional integration.

Development is further stalled in the CEMAC zone because of the absence of basic infrastructure, which the other sub-regions in Africa already have. Reason why experts have recommended that countries of the Central Africa sub-region, apart from working towards more integration, should improve on their production capacities, create enterprises, enlarge their markets as well as adopt strategies to cope with the global financial crisis.

Abdul Kane, the interim director of the Central Africa sub-regional bureau of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, has pledged the support of his organisation towards the process of sub-regional integration in the CEMAC zone.

His organisation would also sensitise all stakeholders on the importance of sub-regional integration which is very vital for the development of CEMAC zone countries, especially in this era of globalisation.