CPAC and CEMAC officials level grounds on 2009 activities 

At the request of the Permanent Secretariat of the Pesticides Registration Committee of Central Africa (CPAC) and on high instructions of the President of the CEMAC Commission, the Commissioner for Infrastructures and Sustainable Development (IDD) of the CEMAC Commission Dr. Bernard ZOBA received on 21 October 2009, a CPAC mission, made up of Mr BOUATO Benoît, Permanent Secretary, Mr MVOM Timothée, Accountant, Expert/Members of CPAC/CAR (Mr MBOROHOUL Jean Benoît and Mrs BRAHIM Marie Honorine). 

The Commissioner of IDD was accompanied by Mr OBAMA Isaïas, Director of DASE, Mr Robert PONG-BALLET, Chief of service of Agricultural Research at DASE and Mr Patrice MAUDZOU, Chief of Cabinet of the Commissioner of IDD.

 The working session focused on the following points: 

-      Presentation of the feasibility study document of the Project for the setting up of an Inter-states Pesticides Analysis and Food Quality Control Laboratory in Central Africa (LIEAP); 

-     Discussions on the Status of members of CPAC as well as local support staff working in the Permanent Secretariat of CPAC; 

-     The signing of Cooperation agreements between France and CPAC and ISRAEL and CPAC;

-     Presentation of the draft budget of the planning meeting for the setting up of a sub-regional System  for Information and Pesticides Control in Central Africa CEMAC zone. 

Conduct of the meeting: 

The Commissioner of IDD who chaired the working session took the floor first to welcome the mission, then proceeded to congratulate the PS on the work accomplished so far on the setting up of LIEAP.  While reiterating the context of this setting up of LIEAP, he instructed the PS to supplement the ToR which will be the subject of recruitment of a consultant who will carry out the study according to the standard procedure at the CEMAC Commission.

Although the SP considered that the document prepared during the Douala meeting held from 27 to 30 May 2009, had been sufficiently prepared to be given due consideration and accepted by the Experts of Member States as a final document, the Director of DASE pointed out quite simply that CPAC as part of CEMAC institutions, will have to comply with the procedures in force which consists inter alia of a more enlarged committee validating such a document by highlighting the expertise of the other departments. 

   Thus it comes out from the first item on the agenda concerning the LIEAP project and heated exchanges, that the procedures in force at the CEMAC commission must be respected. 

    For the other items on the agenda, it was recommended that the Permanent Secretary should send correspondences to the CEMAC Commission on the follow up. 

    In addition, the Accountant and Administrative Officer of CPAC were introduced to the Director Administration and Finance (DAAF) in order that they get acquainted with the methods and techniques of Administrative and Financial Affairs according to rules of the CEMAC Commission.  During the deliberations which lasted for two days, 22 and 23 October 2009, the various services of the DAAF (Department of Human Resources (DHR), Salaries Service, Department of Budget (DB), Finance Control and the Legal Affairs Unit were visited.

At the end of the working sessions with the Personnel of the DAAF, a transmission of the Shuttle sheet N°087/CEMAC/C/P/DAAF/SDAAF/SRH, regulatory texts of the CEMAC Commission were forwarded to CPAC. 

 These regulatory texts (decisions and regulations), training and retraining prospects thus enriched the knowledge of the accountant thereby enabling him to apply them within the framework of the exercise of his duties to the personnel, the Financial and Budget Management and improve the accounting system of CPAC. 

Lastly, the CPAC mission paid a visit to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Central African Republic and was received in audience by Mr. GONIDE Francois, Director of Cabinet (private secretary) of the Minister in charge of Rural Development and Agriculture.  During their discussions, the Permanent Secretary admitted the frank collaboration on the part of the Central African government in general and the Ministry in charge of Agriculture in particular, for a sub-regional integration as regards Pesticides Management with the signing of several decisions, the creation of the National Pesticides Management Committee (NPMC) in CAR as well as the attribution of an Office to Members of CPAC of that Country.

 An introduction of the members of CPAC, its missions and the interest of Governments to encourage CPAC in its action for the fight against " Forger and defrauder " industrialists of pesticides was made to him.

  The mission ended with the visit of the office of Members of CPAC in which installations of computer or data-processing equipment had been made during a mission of CPAC Technicians in RCA.

                                                  Done at Bangui on 23 October 2009

The Rapporteur,

Timothée MVOM