Meeting on October 4, 2024 in Douala the Assa-ac Council of Ministers once again focused on the operationalization of its 2025 vision, the objective of which is to make CEMAC , ” an integrated and emerging economic space, where security, solidarity and good governance reign, in the service of human development”. At the same time, the Council looked at the implementation of the resolutions taken during the last ordinary session held on February 29, 2024 in Bangui, and examined other files relating to the functioning of Assa-ac, in particular, the financial statements and budget of the Agency, its financing mechanism…
“There is progress. Because during the last session, we adopted the community regulation. Today, we are in the transitional phase. And I think that by 2025, all CEMAC member states will move to the application of this regulation. We also have the financing component of Assa-ac, for which we have adopted specific regulations to support it in the context of training inspectors. To date, these regulations are already operational in 4 countries, and there are two countries left ,” Herbert Gontran Djono Ahaba, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation of the Central African Republic ( CAR ), who is also the current president of the Assa-ac Committee of Ministers, told the press .
Indeed, the Council of Ministers, in its 40th ordinary session held on October 30, 2023 in Bangui, had adopted the basic regulations on civil aviation. The said regulations published in the official bulletin of CEMAC on August 16, 2024, and entered into force on September 5, 2024, marking a new era, that of the effective standardization of sectoral policies in civil aviation.
“The migration of our States to this new regulatory system scheduled for no later than December 31, 2025, is therefore the main current challenge for our States. Also, I am delighted with the efforts that are underway within all our States to be at this historic meeting. Indeed, it is always important to remember that once this migration is effective, the CEMAC zone will be the second in the world after the European Union to achieve such an objective in the field of Civil Aviation,” declared Herbert Gontran Djono Ahaba.
Basically, it is about maximizing the benefits of aviation in the CEMAC area, by strengthening airport infrastructure, improving regional connectivity, and harmonizing regulations to ensure high safety standards, and foster sustained economic growth, capable of contributing to regional integration.
” The objective is to reach 80% of the implementation rate of recommended state standards. And these standards concern specific areas, including aerodromes, airworthiness, supervision of aeronautical personnel, and also the area of legislation,” said the Director General of ASSA-AC, Eugène Apombi .
Furthermore, the work which began on October 4th also aims to examine the draft budget of Assa-ac, which will be submitted to the Council of Ministers of UEAC.
