MBA Final Internship Report

UNIVERSITY OF BUEA
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

MANAGEMENT SCIENCES AND MANAGEMENT
An Internship Report on the Organisation and Functioning of the Public Treasury

in Cameroon from September 1st to November 30th 2015, Carried Out at the Buea
Regional Treasury
By
Alang Kum Vincent
(SM14P024)
B.Sc. (Hons) Economics
An Internship Report Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

for the Award of the Master’s Degree in Business Administration
(MBA), with specialisation in Banking and Finance
August 2016
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DEDICATION
To my son Alangkum Anyekeze Caleb Alang who was born a few days after my First
Semester Exams at the MBA Programme.
An Internship Reported carried out at Buea Regional Treasury in 2015 by Alang Kum Vincent
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DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this Internship Report is done by me Alang Kum Vincent
(SM14P024) and is a record of my own research efforts. It has not been presented
elsewhere either partially or wholly for similar purpose. All borrowed ideas have been
duly acknowledged by means of references and quotation marks.
Student Date_________________
_________________
Alang Kum Vincent
The above declaration is confirmed:
Field Supervisor Date _________________
___________________
Mme Ngalle née Esther Namondo E.
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CERTIFICATION
This is to certify that this Internship Report by Alang Kum Vincent (SM14P024)
meets the requirement and regulation governing the award of a Master’s Degree in
Business Administration (MBA) with specialisation in Banking and Finance of the
University of Buea. It is therefore approved for its contribution to specific knowledge
and literary presentation.
Field Supervisor Date
_______________ _____________
HOD Date
_______________ ______________
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This piece of work was carried out with the support and contribution of the following
persons;
Firstly, I will heartily want to thank my Supervisor on the field Mme Ngalle née Esther
Namondo Ekpo, the Deputy Treasurer No. 2, in charge of Personnel at the Regional
Treasury in Buea for her tireless effort in seeing me through this work. I will like to
thank in a very special way Mr Ayuk Akpoeban Peter, the Treasurer Paymaster
General for South West for granting me the permission to carry on with this study
programme while working. I will also thank Mr Valentine Sama Eyum, the Deputy
Treasurer No. 1, the Chiefs of Service for Cash Accounts, Mme Nna Lum Caroline,
Values, Deposits and Consignments, Mrs Efetti Ikome Josephine épse Lyonga and Mr
Tayu Julius Ringnyu for always encouraging and supporting me financially whenever I
was in need. I will also like to thank all the other chiefs of Service and my two
immediate bosses, Mr Epie Ntabe Njoume and Mr Oben Kenneth Beteck with whom I
always maintained a cordial relationship, and for training me in the field. I will also
like to thank the new administration under Mr Donatus Nji Taboh Achu (TPG) and Mr
Ele Aitkins Leopold Dine (FP1) who permitted me to continue with this programme
despite my daily official assignments in the office.
Also, I will thank in a very special way all the lecturers of the MBA Programme at the
University of Buea for training me as a professional in the business world. I am much
grateful to Prof. Molem Christopher and Mr Ntangsi Max Memfih the initiators of the
MBA Programme in the University of Buea.
I will also like to express my profound gratitude to my dear wife Emmerencia Ning
épse Alang Kum for partnering with me during these stressful moments.
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I am so much grateful to God Almighty for granting me good health, strength and
inspiration during this study. I also want to thank my Pastor Rev Ayuk Aaron Okang
and the Intercessory Ministry of Full Gospel Mission Molyko Assembly, Buea for
being always ready to assist me spiritually whenever I needed help and particularly
praying for me to succeed in this programme.
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ABSTRACT
Many businesses underperform because their workers do not possess required skills,
and because they cannot easily adapt to the changing technological and dynamic
world. This internship was intended to find out how the Buea regional treasury is
organised and how it functions given the fact that it is a public utility and has a specific
function of seeing into the execution of the state budget. In order for the Buea regional
treasury to function effectively and efficiently; all its departments or services should
work toward a common goal since it is a network of interrelated services. It was
realised that while some personnel of the Buea treasury are being overused, others are
being underused; this greatly affects the smooth execution of the state budget and
consequently non realisation of the state’s objectives at the end of the year. Being the
south west regional office of the public treasury, many new things were learnt from the
six services that the intern went through and was more equipped professionally by the
end of the internship period. While the intern had less work in some services and was
always respecting the closing time (3:30 pm), he had to work harder in others and yet
was always closing behind scheduled time. The intern was exposed to some of the
challenges of the job market in general and business administration in particular. The
information used in this report was got from face-to-face interactions, through lectures
and from prepared working documents of the Ministry of Finance and the Directorate
General of Treasury, Financial and Monetary Cooperation. The intern benefited a lot
from the knowledge gathered from all the services which was used to write this report.
Some recommendations were also made by the intern considered valuable to the
smooth functioning of the Buea regional treasury and the public treasury in general.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION ................................................................................................................. i
DECLARATION ............................................................................................................ ii
CERTIFICATION ......................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................... iv
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................. vii
LIST OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................................. xi
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Information on Internship in General ................................................... 1
1.2 Objectives of the Internship ...................................................................................... 1
1.3 Methodology of the Internship.................................................................................. 1
1.3.1 Sources of Data Collection .................................................................................... 2
1.3.2 Methodology of Data Collection ........................................................................... 3
CHAPTER TWO
DESCRIPTION OF THE PUBLIC TREASURY
2.1 Brief Description of a Treasury ................................................................................ 4
2.1.1 Description of the Treasury in Cameroon .............................................................. 4
2.2 History of the Treasury in Cameroon ....................................................................... 5
2.2.1 Former Directors and Directors General of the Treasury in Cameroon ................ 6
2.2.2 Creation of the Buea Regional Treasury ................................................................ 7
2.2.3 Legal Provisions of Revenue and Expenditure Operations of the Treasury .......... 8
2.2.4 Roles of a Treasury Department ............................................................................ 9
2.2.4.1 Cash Forecasting ................................................................................................. 9
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2.2.4.2 Investment Management ................................................................................... 10
2.2.4.3 Fund Raising ..................................................................................................... 10
2.3 The Organisation of the Treasury in Cameroon ..................................................... 10
2.3.1 Personnel Strength in the DGTCFM.................................................................... 11
2.3.2 Personnel Strength at the Buea Regional Treasury.............................................. 12
2.4 The Nature of Services offered at the Buea Regional Treasury ............................. 14
2.4.1 The Treasurer Paymaster General ........................................................................ 14
2.4.2 The Deputy Treasurer N°1 ................................................................................... 15
2.4.3 The Deputy Treasurer N°2 ................................................................................... 15
2.4.4 The Control and Audit Brigade............................................................................ 16
2.4.5 The Service of Control and Computer Treatment of Accounts (SCTIC) ............ 16
2.4.6 The Service of Values, Deposits and Consignments ........................................... 17
2.4.7 The Expenditure Service ...................................................................................... 18
2.4.8 The Service of Cash and Accounts ...................................................................... 20
2.4.9 The Service of Management Accounts ................................................................ 21
2.4.9.1 Who Prepares Management Accounts? ............................................................ 22
2.4.9.2 Transmission of Management Accounts to Audit Bench of Supreme Court.... 24
2.4.10 The Bureau of General Affairs .......................................................................... 24
2.4.11 The Local Councils Service ............................................................................... 25
2.5 Internship Department ............................................................................................ 26
CHAPTER THREE
DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERNSHIP
3.1 Activities Performed During the Internship ............................................................ 27
3.1.1 Cash and Accounts Service .................................................................................. 27
3.1.2 Expenditure Service ............................................................................................. 27
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3.1.3 The Service of Values, Deposits and Consignments ........................................... 28
3.1.4 The Audit and Control Service ............................................................................ 28
3.1.5 The SCTIC Service .............................................................................................. 28
3.1.6 The Management Accounts Service .................................................................... 28
3.1.7 The Council Service ............................................................................................. 29
3.1.8 The General Affairs Bureau ................................................................................. 29
3.2 Problems Encountered duringInternship................................................................. 29
3.2.1 Social Problems Encountered in Handling Assigned Tasks ................................ 29
3.2.2 Technical Problems Encountered in Handling Assigned Tasks .......................... 30
CHAPTER FOUR
EXPERIENCE GAINED DURING THE INTERNSHIP PERIOD
4.1 Experiences Gained from the Working with Public Treasury ................................ 31
4.2 The Level of Responsibility .................................................................................... 32
4.3 Skills and Qualifications Gained from the Internship............................................. 33
4.4 Understanding of the various Aspects of Professional Work ................................. 33
4.5 How Internship might Influence Future Career Plans ............................................ 34
4.6 Benefits of Internship .............................................................................................. 35
4.6.1 Benefits of Internship to the Student ................................................................... 36
4.6.2 Benefits of Internship to the Employer ................................................................ 37
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 40
5.2 Recommendations ................................................................................................... 39
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................. 42
APPENDICES .............................................................................................................. 43
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1: Former Directors and Directors General of the Treasury...............................6
Table 2.2: Structure of the Public Treasury in Cameroon...............................................6
Table 2.3: The TPGs for Buea Regional Treasury since its Creation ............................. 8
Table 2.4: The Distribution of Personnel by Category ................................................. 11
Table 2.5: Distribution by Region ................................................................................ 12
Table 2.6: Distribution by Service at the Regional Treasury Buea .............................. 13
Table 2.7: Distribution by Rank at the Regional Treasury Buea .................................. 13
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LIST OF ACRONYMS
ACRONYM MEANING
ACCT Agence Central de la Comptabilité du Trésor
ADP Autres Dépenses des Personnels
AMR Avis de Mouvement à Recouvrer
ASTI Advanced School of Translation and Interpretation
BAG Bureau des Affaires Générales
BEAC Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale
CNPS Caisse National de Prévoyance Social
CADRE Comptabilité Auxiliaire des Dépenses et Recettes de l’Etat
CEFAM Centre de Formation pour l’Administration Municipale
CFA Communauté Française d’Afrique
CRFPT Centre Régional de Formation des Postes et Télécommunications
DEPMI Dépenses de Matériels sur la Mercuriale Informatisée
DO Divisional Officer
DGI Direction Générale des Impôts
DGTCFM Direction Générale du Trésor de la Coopération Financière et
Monétaire
ENAM Ecole Normale de l’Administration et de la Magistrature
FEICOM Fonds d’Equippement Inter-Communal
FP1 Fondé de Pouvoirs 1
GCE BOARD General Certificate of Education Board
IVTC Intensive Vocational Training Centre
LJC Livre Journal Caisse
LJOD Livre Journal des Opérations Divers
NGOs Non-Governmental Organisations
OIC Opportunities Industrialisation Centre
PATRIOT Programme Appliqué au Traitement Informatique des Opérations
du Trésor
PGT Pairie General du Trésor (Paymaster General of Treasury)
PNDP Programme National de Développement Participative
PV Procés Verbal
QC Quittancier Caisse
QR Quittance de Remboursement
SDO Senior Divisional Officer
SCTIC Service du Contrôle et de Traitement Informatique des
Comptabilités
SIDOS Système Informatique des Documents Sécurisés
SOWEDA South West Development Authority
SYSTAC Système de Télé compensation en Afrique Centrale
TPG Treasurer Paymaster General
UB University of Buea
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CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Information on Internship in General
Internship is defined by the National Association of Colleges and employers (NACE)
as; ‘a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the
classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting.
Internship gives students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and makes
connections in professional fields being considered for career paths; and gives
employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.”
1.2 Objectives of the Internship
The Objectives of this Internship or Industrial Training are as follows;
- To acquire or improve on our knowledge and skills in business administration
relevant to private and public sectors as well as NGOs.
- To adapt to the pressures posed by the working environments by taking into
consideration the fact that the dynamism of the world today requires dynamic
persons to cope with.
- To be able to identify some of the setbacks of the treasury as to attaining particular
goals and objectives of the country.
- To use the knowledge acquired to set up and manage one’s own business or
organisation.
1.3 Methodology of the Internship
The internship was carried out at the Buea Regional Treasury for a period of three
months, starting from the month of September to the month of November. At the Buea
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regional treasury work officially starts at 7:30 am and ends at 3:30pm from Monday to
Friday.
Every day, attendance is taken on arrival and before departure, taking into consideration
the arrival and departure times.
The Buea Regional Treasury has seven services being Cash and Accounts, Audit,
Expenditure, SCTIC, Values, Deposit and Consignments, Management Account and the
Computer or Technical Services. We had to go through all these services during the
three months period of internship. Two weeks were spent at each service except for the
Technical Service.
The Chiefs of Service of the various services were charged with the responsibility of
facilitating the learning process for us at their various services while also keeping
records of the activities carried out in their respective services. We were graded at the
various services by the various chiefs and the scores forwarded to the Deputy Treasurer
No. 2, who is in charge of personnel for final grading. This was to make sure that we
were constantly under control and taking on the various tasks assigned to us. No
absenteeism from work with no proper justification was authorised.
Although work closes at 3:30pm, due to work pressure and necessity, we had sometimes
to close later than the stipulated closing time.
1.3.1 Sources of Data Collection
All the information presented in this work was gathered on the field through lectures,
and through the use of some documented material on the organisation and functioning
of the public treasury.
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1.3.2 Methodology of Data Collection
The data for this industrial training was got from both primary sources (lectures,
personal observation and interviews), and secondary sources (documented material from
the DGTCFM, and from MINFI), and through the use of the website of the Ministry of
Finance (www.minfi.gov.cm), the website of the Directorate General of Treasury,
Financial and Monetary Cooperation (DGTCFM, www.dgtcfm.gov.cm) , the archives
of the Regional Treasury and Magazines about the functioning of the public treasury in
Cameroon.
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CHAPTER TWO
DESCRIPTION OF THE PUBLIC TREASURY
2.1 Brief Description of a Treasury
A Treasury is defined as the department of the government that approves the budget and
expenditures and that controls the money. It manages the funds that are available for the
government to spend on the country for a given period of time. The treasury department
occupies a central role in the finances of the state. It takes responsibility for the
company’s liquidity – ensures that a company has enough cash available at all times to
meet the needs of its primary business operations.
2.1.1 Description of the Treasury in Cameroon
The Treasury network in Cameroon is a complex network of activities that involves
many services, performing different but interrelated functions. It carries out government
expenditures as well raises revenue for the government. It is indeed a bank to the state.
Therefore, in one activity, all the services of the treasury are involved.
The Treasury network in Cameroon is made of eleven Regional Treasuries based mostly
at the regional headquarters, except the Littoral Region that has two Regional Treasuries
with many Divisional Treasuries and Sub-Divisional Treasuries corresponding to the
number of Divisions and Sub- Divisions respectively. These are the decentralised
treasury stations. There is a central treasury (Pairie Générale) based in Yaoundé and
other specialised treasury stations (some of them located in other ministries).
The activities carried out by these treasuries are the same for all regional stations except
for Douala and Yaoundé whose status are a bit different from the other nine.
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2.2 History of the Treasury in Cameroon
The history of the public treasury in Cameroon can be dated as far back as the 1960s
when Cameroon gained its independence from France and Britain (Dhaka, 2011). This
treasury service, like any organisation, has a history that is clear. It has undergone many
changes at the discretion of the social, economic and policy contexts of the country.
Initially, there were two parallel structures of the Treasury Department (that of East and
West Cameroon) with two accounting systems that the advent of the Unitary State in
1972, harmonised to give birth to a single service of the Treasury throughout the
national territory.
The power of the Treasury continued to increase as the State of Cameroon developed,
and this eventually made to be faced with difficulties in the mobilisation of resources to
meet its needs. In the mid-1980s, the texts organising the Administration of the
Treasury give a prominent place in the definition and implementation of monetary
policy and the management of the State Treasury; so, exercised over all financial
activities, the guardianship powers to the State.
The public treasury in Cameroon has been very functionally dynamic since its creation
in the early 1960s. Due to this dynamism and the quest for improvement in the type of
services it renders to the general public, the Cameroon Public Treasury has been
managed by 14 different Directors and Directors General, with the current Director
General being the 15th.
The treasury has moved from manual and paper work to the use of software applications
for data imputation and analysis. In this regard, two software applications have been
used since 2001 to ease the work because of the complex nature of the network. These
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software applications are designed only for the public treasury in Cameroon and out of
Cameroon. They are; CADRE and PATRIOT
CADRE is used to impute data or information while PATRIOT is used to analyse the
information and make it ready for use in decision making. The information in
PATRIOT is considered final and should be used for any judgement deemed necessary
either by a Control Team or the Supreme State Audit. Since the creation of the Public
Treasury in Cameroon, it has passed through many management reforms, with the many
Directors and Directors General.
2.2.1 Former Directors and Directors General of the Treasury in Cameroon
In order to better serve the nation and bring about modern innovations within the
treasury corps, the Cameroon public treasury of has been managed by 15 Directors and
Directors General. The table 2.1 shows the various directors and their periods of reign;
Table 2.1: Former Directors and Directors General of the Treasury

S/N Name of Director Period
1 Mr. Medjo Me Zengue Aloys 1962 – 1968
2 Mr. Eboule Ndoumbe Maurice 1968 – 1977
3 Mr. Nka Mbock Robert 1977 – 1981
4 Mr. Bihina Gabriel 1981 – 1987
5 Mr. Essono Essono Alphonse 1987 – 1991
6 Mr. Bihina Gabriel 1991 – 1993
7 Mr. Finateu Emile 1993 – 1994
8 Mr. Njankouo Lamère Daniel (Directeur Adjoint) 1994 –1998
9 Mr. Kitieu René Jules 1998 – 2000
10 Mr. Akumchi Awa Peter 2000 – 2004
11 Mr. Elung Paul Che 2005 – 2008
12 Mr. Nsom Blaise (DGTCFM) 2005 – 2008
13 Mr. Elung Paul Che 2008 – 2009
14 Mr. Hamadou Sambo 2009 – 2011
15 Mr. Moh Tangongoh Sylvester 2011 – Date
Source: MINFI, April 2012
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Eleven Regional Treasuries, the Central Treasury in Yaoundé and their headquarters as
presented in the table below make up the treasury network in Cameroon.
Table 2.2: Structure of the Public Treasury in Cameroon

S/N Regional Treasury Headquarter
1 Central Services and PGT Yaoundé
2 Adamawa Region Ngaoundere
3 Centre Region Yaoundé
4 East Region Bertoua
5 Extreme North Region Maroua
6 Littoral North Region Nkongsamba
7 Littoral South Region Douala
8 North Region Garoua
9 North West Region Bamenda
10 South Region Ebolowa
11 South West Region Buea
12 West Region Bafoussam
Source: Computed by the Intern, 2015
2.2.2 Creation of the Buea Regional Treasury
The Buea Regional Treasury was created by presidential Decree No. 65/DF/163 of 29
May, 1965, placing the Buea Regional Treasury at the centre of administration of West
Cameroon under the authority of the Treasurer Paymaster General, appointed by
Presidential Decree of the Federal Republic of Cameroon. The following are some of
the TPGs who have managed the Regional Treasury from Federal to Unitary State;
8
Table 2.3: The TPGs for Buea Regional Treasury since its Creation
S/N Name of TPG Rank Period
1. Mr. J. S Nana Treasury Inspector 1965 – 1968
2. Mr. Jean Zoa Amougou Senior Treasury Inspector 1968 – 1970
3. Mr. Francois Messi Edzoa Treasury Inspector 1970 – 1978
4. Mr. Zacharie Kuate Senior Treasury Inspector 1978 – 1983
5. Mr. Forcha Stephen Beloa Senior Treasury Inspector 1983 – 1988
6. Mr. Ngafesson Emmanuel Bantar Treasury Inspector 1988 – 1994
7. Mr. Njike Nembo Michel Senior Treasury Inspector 1994 – 1997
8. Mr. Rene Laglane Treasury Inspector 1997 – 1998
9. Mr. Joseph Rene Ako’o Senior Treasury Inspector 1998 – 2002
10. Mr. Elung Paul Che Senior Treasury Inspector 2002 – 2005
11. Mr. Ojong Martin Ojongfong Senior Treasury Inspector 2005 – 2011
12. Mr. Ayuk Akpoeban Peter Senior Treasury Inspector 2011 – 2016
13. Mr. Donatus Nji Taboh Achu Senior Treasury Inspector 2016-Present
Source: Bureau des Affaires Générales, TG Buea, (2016)
2.2.3 Legal Provisions of Revenue and Expenditure Operations of the Treasury
Under the rules governing public finances, revenue collection offices and imprest fund
are easing procedures for the execution of revenue and expenditure of the general
budget of the state. These procedures however constitute exceptions which are framed
by texts that determine the conditions of their creation, their manner of operation and
the status and liability of those who manage them. The following texts govern revenue
collection;
Ordinance No. 62/OF/4 of February 7, 1962 setting the mode of presentation, the
conditions for implementing the budget of the Federal Republic of Cameroon, revenues,
expenses and any associated transactions related. Concerning intermediate agents, the
text addresses the issue of revenue collection offices and imprest fund. This law states
that as concerns revenue collection offices, all endorsements that must be included in
9
the legal act creating the revenue collection office and the responsibility of the
administrators.
Circular No. 10/001/MINFI of January 8, 2010 on instructions for implementation
and monitoring of the State Budget and funded agencies for 2010. This Circular species
the accounting documents of the revenue collector, accounting operations of the revenue
collector, the requirements to become a revenue collector, the role of the TPG in
monitoring operations of revenue collectors etc.
Documents specific to each jurisdiction (laws, decrees, orders) are unique to each
jurisdiction and relate to revenue collection offices created from these jurisdictions.
2.2.4 Roles of a Treasury Department
The Treasury Department occupies a central role in the finances of the state. It takes
responsibility of the liquidity of the state – ensures that the state has enough cash
available at all times to meet the primary needs of its treasury operations. To really meet
the goal, a treasury department performs the following roles over time:
2.2.4.1 Cash Forecasting
This is the beginning of all other roles carried on in the operation of a Treasury
Department. The treasury department helps the state in forecasting cash by outlining the
various sources from which cash can be got. The forecast and all its components are
needed to:
– Determine if more cash is needed. If that is the case, then they can go on to plan for
funds inquiry either through the use of debt or equity.
– Plan for investment purposes if forecast results in surplus and cash excess shows up.
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– Plan its hedging operations by using the information at the individual currency level.
That is, implement operations that can be carried out to prevent cash loss.
2.2.4.2 Investment Management
A public treasury is able to manage investment by making sure that there is available
cash for any investment programmes within its defined territory. Each year, there are
public investment projects to be executed at different regions and at different amounts;
the treasury department is the one in charge of the payments. So, it must make sure
there is enough cash or liquidity to cater for this.
2.2.4.3 Fund Raising
Funds at the public treasury are generated from taxes, fines, housing and state property,
loyalties loans etc. This means that even if the treasury runs out of funds, and there are
funds in any of the above-mentioned establishments which are to be paid into the
treasury, the Treasurer Paymaster General has the right to request for them to solve
immediate problems. The amount of cash or liquidity held at a regional treasury is a
function of the economic activities taking place within that region. That is, as far as the
11 regional treasuries in Cameroon are concerned, the amount of taxes, loyalties etc.
paid into the treasury largely depends on the types of business activities that are within
that region and pay their taxes directly into the regional treasury. So, the financial
strength of a treasury station varies from region to region and from locality to locality.
2.3 The Organisation of the Treasury in Cameroon
The treasury network in Cameroon is made of one Central and eleven (11) Regional
Treasuries, fifty – eight (58) Divisional Treasuries and three hundred and sixty – one
(361) Sub-Divisional Treasuries. The eleven regional treasuries, the central and
specialised treasuries in all make up the treasury network of Cameroon with each
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regional treasury hosted by the regional capital except for Littoral Region that hosts two
regional stations at Douala and Nkongsamba and the centre region that hosts both the
central and regional treasuries.
2.3.1 Personnel Strength in the DGTCFM
As at 31 December, 2012, the personnel strength of the DGTCFM stood at 2,083 and
distributed as follows;
Distribution by Sex
Men =1183, (57% of personnel) as against 900 personnel for women, (43%).
Distribution by Category
As per this distribution, civil servants of the corps of Financial Administration
(Treasury) represented 45% (938 personnel).
Table 2.4: The Distribution of Personnel by Category

Serial No Category Personnel Strength
1 A2 90
2 A1 366
3 B2 105
4 B1 371
5 C 95
6 D 84
7 11 5
8 10 132
9 9 39
10 8 290
11 7 56
12 6 35
13 5 188
14 4 84
15 3 201
16 1 14
TOTAL 2,083
Source: MINFI Annual Report 2012
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Distribution of personnel by Grade
According to this distribution by grade, we notice that the DGTCFM enjoys great
diversity which attests to the transversal and multidisciplinary nature of its attributions,
(public accounting, liquidity management, money, economy, bank insurance,
microfinance).
Distribution of Personnel by Region
As per geographical distribution central service and the Paymaster General of the
Treasury’s Office have more than 30% of the personnel. Devolved services occupy less
than 70%.
Table 2.5: Distribution by Region

Type of Service Region Personnel Strength Rate
Central Services and PGT Centre 636 30.53%
Centre 363 17.43%
Littoral I 197 9.45%
Littoral II 56 2.69%
North 107 5.14%
Far North 111 5.32%
Devolved Services East 86 4.13%
Adamawa 59 2.83%
West 127 6.09%
North West 111 5.32%
South West 119 5.71%
South 112 5.38%
TOTAL 2,083 100%
Source: DGTCFM Annual Report 2012
2.3.2 Personnel Strength at the Buea Regional Treasury
As at 31st October, 2015, the personnel strength of the Buea Regional Treasury stands at
60 and distributed as follows;
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Table 2.6: Distribution of Personnel by Service at the Regional Treasury Buea

Service No of Males No of Females Total
Treasurer Paymaster General 1 0 1
st
1 Deputy Treasurer 1 0 1
2nd Deputy Treasurer 0 1 1
Expenditure and Recovery 2 2 4
Accounts and Cash 4 2 6
Values, Deposits & Consignments 0 1 1
Audit and Control 2 5 7
SCTIC 2 3 5
Management Accounts 3 3 6
Local Councils 1 1 2
Computer Service 1 0 1
General Affairs Bureau 5 4 9
Bureau des Titres 2 1 3
Unabsorbed Staff 1 3 4
Temporary Staff 1 1 2
Total 26 27 53
Source: TPG’s Secretariat, 2016
Table 2.7: Distribution by Rank at the Regional Treasury Buea
Civil Servants
Rank No of Males No of Females Total
Senior Inspectors of Treasury 3 1 4
Inspectors of Treasury 4 9 13
Senior Controllers of Treasury 1 0 1
Controllers of Treasury 2 1 3
Assistant Controllers of Treasury 2 1 3
Comis du Trésor 0 1 1
Total Number of Civil Servants 12 13 25
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Contract Workers
Rank No of Males No of Females Total
Senior Contract Officers 4 2 6
Contract Officers 4 7 11
State Agents 4 1 5
Unabsorbed Staff 1 3 4
Temporary Staff 1 1 2
Total No. of Contract Workers 14 14 28
Total Number of Workers 25 26 53
As per this distribution, there are a total of 28 civil servants, 26 Contract Workers and 6
unabsorbed workers at the Buea Regional Treasury as of December 2015.
2.4 The Nature of Services offered at the Buea Regional Treasury
The Cameroon Public Treasury offers many services. These services offered differ from
one service to the other. The Buea Regional Treasury, like any of the regional treasuries
is managed with the aid of Chiefs of Service. In all, seven Services make the Regional
Treasury in Buea. They are; the Expenditure Service, the Service of Cash and Accounts,
the Service for Values, Deposits and Consignments, the Service for Control and Audit,
the Computer Control and Consolidation Service (SCTIC), and the Service for Local
Councils, the Computer Service and one main Bureau (Bureau for General Affairs).
This is a presentation of the functional organisational chart of the Buea Regional
Treasury;
2.4.1 The Treasurer Paymaster General
Assisted by the Deputy Treasurer N°1 who is in charge of accounting operations and the
Deputy Treasurer N°2 who is in charge of administration and personnel, he supervises
and ensures the smooth functioning of the South West Financial Jurisdiction.
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2.4.2 The Deputy Treasurer N°1
Placed under the authority of the Head of Station the first Deputy Treasurer (FP1) is in
charge of all accounting operations of the South West Financial Jurisdiction.
2.4.3 The Deputy Treasurer N°2
Placed under the authority of the Head of Station, the second Deputy Treasurer (FP2)
coordinates and animates recovery operations, the Management Accounts Service and
the Bureau of General Affairs.
Charged at the level of accounting station;
– The coordination and animation of recovery operations of public debts.
– Organization of training seminars and coordination meetings.
– Management of personnel and material.
– Management of Automobile Park.
– Controls recovery situation before their transmission to hierarchy.
– The production of the instructions from the department of Treasury towards the
attached accounting station.
– The follow-up of the recommendations and the resolution of coordination meetings.
– Execution of other tasks and missions confided by the Head of Station.
At the level of the Financial Jurisdiction;
– The follow-up of the recovery of public debts and the centralization of results.
– The follow-up of personnel.
– The follow-up of the management of material and fixed assets of attached
accounting posts.
– The follow-up of the production of the recovered situation.
– The centralization and control of remise situations.
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– The follow-up of debtors and other gratifications accorded to the personnel of the
Jurisdiction.
2.4.4 The Control and Audit Brigade
Placed under the authority of the Chief of Control and Audit Brigade;
– The brigade controls and audits the services of the Regional Treasury, the
Divisional Treasuries and Sub-Treasuries.
– It evaluates and organizes the functioning of services at the Regional Treasury.
– It assists the Regional Treasurer in given to hierarchy the actual statistics of
activities carried out within the jurisdiction periodically, end of month audit reports
from the accounting posts of the Region.
– Proposes sanctions to be taken after every control.
2.4.5 The Service of Control and Computer Treatment of Accounts (SCTIC)
Placed under the authority of a Chief of Service, it has the following bureaux;
1. The bureau of archives,
2. The bureau for the control and audit of accounts,
3. The bureau for the follow-up of accounting rejects and periodical situations,
4. The bureau for the reception of accounts and follow-up, and
5. The bureau for the computer treatment of accounts.
The SCTIC Service is in charge of;
− Computerising accounts of attached treasury and other revenue collection centres
placed under the south west financial jurisdiction,
− Producing end-of-month and end-of-year situations (Balance sheet) of the entire
south west financial jurisdiction, etc
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− The SCTIC service is charged with the formal control and the regularization of
accounts at the Central Treasury and attached Treasury Stations.
– It follows up movement of funds and its reciprocal accounts.
– It ensures the control of codified accounting documents and accounts.
– It controls and exploits the bank reconciliation statements.
– It controls and audits the provisionary imputation of accounts and rejects.
– It ensures the computerization of accounting entries of attached Treasury Stations.
– It ensures the computerization of the follow-up forms of the execution of the budget.
– It produces documents on the final results and the balance of accounts.
2.4.6 The Service of Values, Deposits and Consignments
Placed under the authority of a Chief of Service, it is in charge of the management of
inactive values and the follow-up of deposits and third party accounts. It comprises two
bureaux namely;
1. The Bureau of Values and
2. The Bureau of Deposits and Consignments.
Bureau of Values:
This bureau is in charge of;
– Collection of values like fiscal stamps, windscreen licences etc
– Distribution of these values,
– Keeping of auxiliary registers for values (Fiscal Stamps, Windscreen Licences and
accounting documents),
– Centralization of sale of fiscal stamps and windscreen licences,
– Production of periodic statements (statement of sales), “compte d’emploi”,
– Reintegration of unsold values,
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– Confrontation of balances between auxiliary registers and the balance of accounts.
Bureau of Deposits and Consignments:
– Follow-up of all deposits from Public Administrations, Public Administrative
Establishments and Specific Accounts,
– Keeping of auxiliary registers for all the said accounts,
– Reimbursement of deposits,
– Production of periodic statements such as the “Etats d’accord” or reconciliatory
statements of third party accounts and the “Etats de développement des soldes des
dépôts”.
2.4.7 The Expenditure and Recovery Service
Placed under the authority of a Chief of Service, he/she coordinates the activities of the
service, controls and validates state budgeted expenditures. The service is made up of
three bureaux as follows;
1. The bureau for Personnel Expenditure.
2. The bureau for Capital Expenditure.
3. The bureau for Recovery.
Attributes;
– The Expenditure receives functioning and investment bills from the Bureau of
General Affairs coming from the Finance Control.
– These bills are transmitted to the Bureau of capital expenditure for control and
manual treatment in the register of expenditure committed.
– It does importation of bills from DEPMI to CADRE
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– It controls the fiscal and administrative documents in the bills before proceeding to
the computer treatment.
– It controls information imported from DEPMI and confronts with the physical bill
before it is validated.
– It forwards bills to the recovery bureau for the treatment of taxes, manually and with
the aid of computer,
– It validates the bills with a “Good for payment stamp” both manually and in the
computer using the CADRE software,
– It transmits bills to the accounts and cash service (physical bills and soft copies).
– It notifies beneficiary in case their bills are rejected. This is done by pasting a list of
rejected bills,
– It receives and distributes pension and active vouchers for the South West region
every end of the month,
– It prepares the statement of taking in charge of active and pension vouchers every
month,
– It treats court claims and interpreter’s claims,
– It prepares the situation of outstanding bills “Restes à Payer” every end of the week
and transmits to the Treasurer General,
– It prepares a detailed service report of the service for every quarter and presents
during coordination meetings.
At the level of the Recovery Bureau,
– It treats purchase orders and Inland Revenue from various collection services.
– It receives purchase orders, controls, validates and transfers back to the Chief of
Expenditure Service.
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– It issues pay-in-slips to purchase orders that have taxes like supplies, rents, salaries
and allowances while mission orders, fuel and some allowances are not issued pay-
in-slips.
– It compiles monthly situations from various revenue collection services according to
each Ministry and sends to Yaoundé on or before the 20th of each month.
– It issues out pay-in-slips to revenue collectors who come to pay in money in the
Treasury.
2.4.8 The Service of Cash and Accounts
Placed under the authority of a Chief of Service, the Cash and Accounts Service is made
up of the following bureaux;
1. The Accounting Bureau
2. The bureau of Formal Control and Safeguarding of accounts,
3. The Bureau of Diverse Operations
4. The Bureau of Imputation and Periodic production of Situations,
5. The Cash Bureau (DGTCFM, 2013)
It is in charge of the following functions;
– Is in charge of all payments done in the Treasury.
– Receives all income that comes into the Station.
– Builds accounts of the Treasury both decadally, monthly and annually (as an
accounting station),
– Produces the balance sheet of the Treasury (as an accounting station).
– Is in charge of adjustment operations.
– The cash bureau is in charge of preparing daily cash situations and submits to the
Treasurer Paymaster General for policy and decision making.
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2.4.9 The Service of Management Accounts
Placed under the authority of a Chief of Service, it comprises:
1. The bureau of Management Accounts of Decentralised Local Collectivities
2. The bureau of State Management Accounts.
3. The bureau of other Public Establishments.
4. The bureau of Archives;
Attributes;
– It produces and elaborates Management Accounts.
– It classifies supporting documents in Revenue and Expenditure.
– It confronts figures with balances of accounts and produces various statements that
make up the Management Accounts.
– It receives supporting documents from SCTIC through a bordereau or a follow-up
register.
– It verifies documents through formal and validity control.
– It classifies supporting documents according to their nature of operations.
– It carries out confrontation of the figures with those of balance of accounts from
SCTIC.
– It effects corrections were necessary and consolidates figures.
– It produces the synthesis documents in Revenue and Expenditure which make up the
Management Accounts.
– It photocopies the statement and binds the Management Accounts.
– It consolidates supporting documents and does the packaging according to
prescriptions of the Audit Bench.
– It deposits Management Accounts at the Audit Bench of the Supreme Court under
the authorization of the Treasurer General.
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2.4.9.1 Who Prepares Management Accounts?
Every accountant is charged with the production of management accounts . because the
job of the management accountant demands that accounts be rendered for every
operation, this is done by the accountants. Those charged with the preparation of these
accounts at the Divisional and Sub-Divisional treasuries are called Secondary
Accountants; because they prepare their accounts and send to the Regional Treasury for
preparation of final accounts.
The TPG prepares the final management accounts every years as the Principal
Accountant. The production of Management Accounts by Paymasters General is
organised by Ministerial Instruction No. 00001451/MINFI/CAB of 10 April, 2008.
Management account is a document prepared in three parts – part 1, part 2 and part 3.
– Part One is made up of general documents
– Part Two is management accounts in figures and,
– Part Three is management account in supporting documents
General Documents;
Concerns mainly accounts of the principal accountants with attached documents. The
general documents furnish information in general of the accounts transmitted to the
Aaudit Bench of the Supreme Court for verification and judgement. The following are
documents prepared and transmitted as general documents;
– The certificate of nomination of Principal Accountant
– Work assumption certificates
– Reports of Handing over
– Report of his Oath of Service
– An Attestation of Caution
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– Specimen Signature and his griffe
– Delegation of Powers to his Deputies
– Specimen signature of his Deputies
– Furnish the liasses for the year.
Management Accounts in Figures;
It requires the production of the following ;
– Balance Accounts (la balance annuelle des Comptes)
– The state of development of budgetary revenues
– Annexes
– Situation with other Public Establishments; schools, hospitals, councils etc
– Situations for Payment of salaries and pensions
– Situation of Recovery
– Situation of deficit incurred by Treasury Staffs (the cause of the deficit)
– Situation of stamps and windscreen licences
– The situation of bank transfers and cheques
– The situation of cheques rejected and not regularised for payment by Decembre 31
– The situation of the Special HIPC account for the current exercise
– The states of development of third party accounts, they comprise provisionary
Management Accounts in Supporting Documents;
This deals with the submission of justifying documents of revenues and expenditures of
operations described in management accounts in figures. We consider documents that
make up these figures; we use liasses. The documents are arranged and packed in
certain orders.
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Management accounts in supporting documents is composed of the following
documents;
– A detailed state of revenues
– Justifying documents of budgeted revenues
– A detailed state of budgetary expenditures
– Justifying documents of budgetary expenditures
– Accounts verified and imputed or computerised are transferred at the end of each
month by the Service of Computer Treatment, Control and Consolidation of
Accounts (SCTIC) to the Management Aaccounts Service. They are received and
classified to constitute the management accounts at the end of each financial year.
2.4.9.2 Transmission of Management Accounts to Audit Bench of Supreme Court
Management accounts are deposited three months after the close of the current
budgetary exercise. Therefore, the 31st of May is the latest date for the TPG to forward
the documents to the Financial Jurisdiction in Yaoundé. A receipt of the deposited
documents is issued to him and for him to give a copy of this receipt to the AACT
(Central Accounting Agency of the Treasury).
2.4.10 The Bureau of General Affairs
Placed under the authority of a Chief of Bureau it is in charge of,
– Inward and outward correspondences.
– Keeping the smooth running of the store.
– Establishing and controls personnel files except that of the Treasurer General and
his assistants.
– Taking care of staff discipline in collaboration with other section heads of services
as maybe directed by the Treasurer General or his Assistants.
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– Taking care of social matters, controls messengers, cleaners, drivers and vehicle
movements.
– Preparing, drafts leave decisions and staff increments in liaison with the Governor’s
Office.
– Controlling staff of the Treasury Station of the Region with particular attention to
nominal rolls of discipline, staff movements and submit monthly reports to
hierarchy.
2.4.11 The Local Councils Service
This service is also placed under the authority of a Chief of Service. Since it was
introduced at the public treasury in Cameroon, it has become more prominent since
2010. The local Councils Service performs the following functions;
− Oversees the activities of the various councils in the region through the Municipal
Treasurers or Sub Treasurers (Public Accountants) at such levels.
− It receives reports from various council branches either monthly (monthly returns)
or annually (management account).
− Oversees the functioning of the 33 councils in the South West Region of Cameroon.
They raise funds for various reasons and from various sources. The councils of the
South West Region are distributed as follows; Fako (8), Meme (6), Manyu (4),
Kupe Muanenguba (3), Lebialem (3), Ndian (9)
− Receives Management account balance sheets of income and expenditure (economic
activities) of councils annually from the Municipal Treasurers and Sub Treasurers
(where the council is under the authority of the assigned treasury head of that
locality). These accounts are submitted to the council service at the end of every
year, but formed in semesters or quarterly. Management account is built up from the
annual monthly returns.
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2.5 Internship Department
The internship was carried out at the Southwest Regional Treasury, a branch of the
treasury network in Cameroon. During the internship period, all the interns had to go
round all the services in well prepared programme of service circulation by the FP2 of
the regional treasury. This is because the various services perform different but related
activities. The chiefs of service acted as our co-supervisors in the field while the Deputy
Treasurer No. 2 (FP2) was our Field Supervisor.
She is a Senior Inspector of Treasury who also doubles as the Chief of Service for
Management Accounts has many years of working experience in the treasury
department and in the field of Personnel Management and Administration.
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CHAPTER THREE
DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERNSHIP
3.1 Activities Performed During the Internship
The activities carried out during the internship varied from service to service, although
there was repetition in some services. The reason why we had to move from service to
service during this period was to better train us on us on the complete functioning of the
treasury. The work done ranged from paper work to computer work. To better outline
the types of activities performed during this period, the activities have been presented
according to services as follows;
3.1.1 Cash and Accounts Service
In this service, the main activity carried out was sorting. Sorting is an accounting
technique used in the classification of accounts. Because there are many sources of
revenue and various types of expenditure, the accounts must be grouped by nature and
by class in order to facilitate the accounting procedure. For example, grouping salary
vouchers together, running credits, investment credits and other personnel expenditures,
for expenditure accounts and other credits, transfer credits and state budgetary revenues
for income.
3.1.2 Expenditure and Recovery Service
At the expenditure service, we were mostly concerned with registration of documents in
the register to be transmitted to the accounts service for further treatment. We also
verified all the documents that are imported from the Regional Control of Finance to see
whether the information on the documents was correct.
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3.1.3 The Service of Values, Deposits and Consignments
Since this is a service that deals with deposits and consignments, we were more
concerned with preparing cheques for the payment of the service heads of the
administrative public establishments with accounts with the treasury. While
reimbursement slips were being prepared sundry deposits like the University of Buea,
the Cameroon GCE Board, SOWEDA, CEFAM, P & T etc., cheques were being
prepared for delegations such as public health, primary and secondary education. All the
documents after preparation were registered before transmitting to the TPG or FP1 for
signature.
3.1.4 The Audit and Control Service
In this service, we were only drilled on how carryout control of services and how to
prepare a report (Procés Verbal) of any audit carried out.
3.1.5 The SCTIC Service
The SCTIC service is that service that is in charge of computerisation and consolidation
of accounts. In this service, were taught how to impute information into a computer
using various account heads. In this service, much of the work is computer work
because it is the heart of the treasury. Any information that passes through the treasury
must be recorded or computerised in this service.
3.1.6 The Management Accounts Service
This is the service that does final classification of accounts before sending them to the
Audit Bench of the Supreme Court. Work here is done manually. It prepares the
management accounts for the regional treasury and for the attached treasury stations.
Here, the sorting technique is repeated in order to classify accounts in a manner that can
make it easier for anyone who uses them.
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3.1.7 The Council Service
This service is in charge of local councils. While in this service, we were also trained on
how to treat documents electronically. We were also briefed on how to prepare
management accounts.
3.1.8 The General Affairs Bureau
There are different for recording different types of documents. We used to register the
documents that were coming in (in – coming mails). This is the office that receives most
of the documents entering the treasury – we used to register all documents before being
distributed to the various destinations.
3.2 Problems Encountered during Internship
The problems faced during the internship period ranged from social, academic,
technical and environmental. This section will be divided consider two of these
problems – social and technical problems encountered by the students on internship.
3.2.1 Social Problems Encountered in Handling Assigned Tasks
Some of the social problems encountered were that;
− Most of the workers considered us as mere students and therefore could not easily
integrate us in their milieu. This made the environment a little tensed for me, and
affected my concentration and focus.
− Still concerning social problems, i always felt as if i was not doing the right thing as
the hierarchy was hardly there to do a one – to –one appraisal of our work.
− One other major problem I had as an intern was that of difficulty getting to the Buea
regional treasury where I was carrying out the internship; so did many other interns
because of insufficient transport means. This caused us to come late some times
because we had to trek from our various locations to the place of work.
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− Feeding was another problem the interns faced including me. We had to sometimes
work with hunger in our stomachs. This affected our output during the internship
greatly.
3.2.2 Technical Problems Encountered in Handling Assigned Tasks
As far as the technical difficulties are concerned,
− It was very difficult for me understanding the use of the two software applications
(CADRE and PATRIOT). This made the learning process more difficult for me. The
main cause of this was insufficient time to focus more on a particular service and its
activities.
− While time was more than enough in services that did not have much to offer during
that period, time was very much insufficient for some services, thereby making us to
always close later, sometimes as late as 5 or 6pm. While in a service with no work, I
tried to plead that we should be sent to the services with more work so that we can
be more occupied, i was told that the internship schedule has to be respected strictly.
− One of the most disturbing problems I had was that of language barrier in
communication. Because most of the working manuals reading were in French, it
was therefore very difficult for me reading through them.
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CHAPTER FOUR
EXPERIENCE GAINED DURING THE INTERNSHIP PERIOD
4.1 Experiences Gained from the Working with Public Treasury
The Treasury Department occupies a central role in the finances of the state. It takes
responsibility of the liquidity of the state – ensures that the state has enough cash
available at all times to meet the primary needs of its treasury operations. It is the
department that manages state funds. It is a complex network of activities and extends
from the Central and national level to the Divisional and Sub-Divisional levels. It is an
important department of the state. All the regional, divisional and sub – divisional
treasuries in Cameroon function in a similar way because their functions are defined at
the national level.
Working as an intern with the Buea Regional Treasury for these three months was an
eye opener to the way the public treasury operates in Cameroon, and how the state at
every stage can influence the treasury in one way or the other.
− It was realised that the public treasury has many services of which each service has
its own defined but interrelated functions. In order to function well and achieve
prescribed goals, all these services must all function well,
− It helps in the execution of the state budget by collecting revenues and carrying out
expenditure on the behalf of the state. This enriched my knowledge on the
functioning of the public treasury in Cameroon, through the Buea Regional
Treasury.
− Determines if more cash is needed. If that is the case, then they can go on to plan for
funds inquiry either through the use of debt or equity.
− Plan for investment purposes if forecast results in surplus and cash excess shows up.
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− Plan its hedging operations by using the information at the individual currency level.
That is, implement operations that can be carried out to prevent cash loss.
4.2 The Level of Responsibility
The treasury department is legally responsible for the collection of state revenues. It has
been granted the total monopoly as shown by the following decrees below. This is an
experience that I got only during the internship period when gathering information for
this work. It was realised that there are legal provisions granting the treasury that
monopoly power.
Decree No.2005/119 of 15 August 2005 on the Organisation of the Ministry of
Economy and Finance creates a Directorate General of the Treasury which the State
intends to play its role in the development and implementation of financial, monetary
policy, accounting and cash management. Indeed, the former Directorate of the
Treasury became a Directorate-General now Directorate of the Treasury and the
Directorate of Financial and Monetary Cooperation and the evolution insurances.
Decree No. 2008/365 of 8 November 2008, organising the Ministry of Finance,
monitoring operations of revenue collectors formerly under the Directorate General of
the Budget has been transferred to the Directorate General of Treasury, Financial and
Monetary Cooperation. The delicate task which was partially followed by the treasury
department through recovery, needs a perfect mastery of the legal framework governing
their activities so as to guarantee good accounting follow-up of all transactions.
Law No. 2007/006 of 26 December 2007 on the Financial Regime of the State. The
financial regime devotes the monopoly of the treasury department on the recovery of all
revenue, payment of expenses and the entire treasury of the state, local councils and
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other legal persons of public law. In practice, to facilitate the implementation of the
budget, the Minister of Finance creates boards in some administrations to ensure the
collection of certain revenues and finish the payment of some of certain categories of
expenses.
General Instruction on State Accounts of May 29, 2009. This instruction takes up all
of the provisions relating to each revenue collection as provided by the Circular on the
implementation and monitoring the implementation of the State Budget.
4.3 Skills Gained from the Internship
As far as the internship is concerned I have gained following experiences;
− Classifying accounting documents by nature, type and by class, generally referred to
as sorting;
− I can confidently use the software applications of the treasury for data imputation
and data analysis;
− I can now also post information in the daily journal (expenditure day book), the
adjustment journal and the treasury receipt booklet (the quittancier);
− I can also use the software applications (CADRE and PATRIOT) to modify any
wrong account entries.
4.4 Understanding of the various Aspects of Professional Work
Professional experience at workplace differs from one work type to another. The type of
services offered also differs from one workplace to another. The treasury functions in
various ways depending on the services it offers.
As a treasury department, its role is about managing the income and expenditures of the
state. This involves making sure that the treasury has the capital it needs to manage the
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day-to-day expenditures of the state, while helping develop its long term financial
strategy and policies.
Therefore, understanding various aspects of professionalism at work at the regional
treasury entails understanding the functioning of the various services that make up the
regional treasury.
− As a student on internship at the Regional Treasury in Buea, I learnt the ethics of
professionalism. That is working within the binding rules and regulations – not
discussing treasury issues out of the treasury.
− I also learnt of the various quality services that the treasury offers with real
usefulness like providing windscreen licences to automobile owners,
− One major aspect of professionalism that I noticed during the internship period was
the fact that the state of Cameroon places great interest on the treasury because
Decision-making about product is guided by a clear understanding of value and
quality.
− Also, while undertaking the internship, I understood that the treasury is the state
bank but functions unlike the commercial banks since it is closely and constantly
supervised and controlled by persons assigned by the state. It deals directly with the
central bank which is the supervisory body for banks in Cameroon.
4.5 How Internship might Influence Future Career Plans
Internships generally shape the professional lives of interns and help them to secure a
job even in the same company where he or she did the internship. Employers
overwhelmingly point to internship experience as the most important factor they
consider in hiring interns for full-time positions, and they have a variety of self-serving
reasons for feeling that way.
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How does internship influence future career plans of interns? Here are some of the ways
by which the career path of an intern can be brightened;
− An internship programme is a recruiting tool for many employers. Implementing an
internship programme means you have an ongoing pipeline of future fulltime
employees. Hence, it can help influence the future career of an intern in that he or
she can be retained and spared the embarrassment of low productivity and output
whenever he or she is employed as a result of lack of professional experience.
− A new employee makes a solid impression in the interview, but then just doesn't
really get on with your current team or your company's way of doing things. This
impression on the part of the employer can lead to dismissal of low output staff to
recruit interns and which can shape the company’s image.
− Speaking of additional manpower, setting up an internship programme allows you to
take advantage of short-term support. Interns usually would want to create a good
about themselves in their internship sites, as such put in all their efforts in executing
the assigned tasks. This consequently results to increased productivity in the future
or at least during the period of internship.
− Some interns bring with them new ideas into the organisation. These can reshape the
goals and objectives of the employing organisation especially in an organisation of
only 12 or 15 employees, new people bringing with them new perspectives, fresh
ideas, and specialized strengths and skill sets can greatly influence the
organisation’s output in future.
4.6 Benefits of Internship
Internships generally benefit both parties (the employer and the employee). At the end
of every internship programme the employer should be satisfied at the work done by the
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intern, while the intern should also be satisfied by the experience gathered from the
training. The benefits of internship are as follows;
4.6.1 Benefits of Internship to the Student
Internships are known for giving students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in
real world environments. At the same time, they will also develop skills which will help
them perform better at their jobs;
– Internship greatly increases the chances for a student gaining full time employment
after graduation.
– Through internship, students are provided with experience that makes them
stronger. In addition to this, their work ethic also increases, and makes them more
confident in their abilities.
– Internship also allows students to learn about time management, discipline, and
effective communication skills. In the business world, critical thinking skills are
very important. Graduates must be able to make quick decisions which are based on
logic.
– Internship also teaches students how to excel in a large number of different
organisations and industries. When a student uses internship, this brings benefits to
himself as well as his employers.
– Learn your strengths and weaknesses by creating learning objectives and receiving
feedback from your supervisor. This is a unique learning opportunity that you may
never have again as a working adult. Embrace the mistakes that you’ll make and the
many things that you won’t know. Ask questions, observe, and take risks.
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4.6.2 Benefits of Internship to the Employer
One significant advantage to providing internship is the opportunity to select and
develop future talents. It is the opportunity to evaluate and screen potential employees
prior to making a full‐time position offer, which leads to financial savings. Employers
have reported converting more than half of eligible interns into full‐time hires. If hired
in a permanent position, previous interns assimilate faster to their new roles and have
shorter learning curves than external hires.
Hiring interns can be exceptionally beneficial to companies in any field of an industry
because interns can contribute to the further development and success of a company.
Some of the benefits of internship to the employer are as follows;
– Interns commit to tasks and work hard at completing them quickly and efficiently.
They are able to work on a variety of projects with enthusiasm.
– Interns can relieve overwork. Their availability can be crucial additions to
accomplish what needs to be done. Interns can act as support to the existing staff.
– Interns bring with them the knowledge and skills learned through education. They
have new ideas, insights, and processes that will benefit the workforce and work
environment of the company.
– The employer is able to assess the skills of an intern without the full commitment of
an employee during the internship period.
– Through the mentoring of interns the staff develops skills in being leaders and
supervisors.
– Internship gives the employer the opportunity to shape and mould the skills most
sought after for the company. Since they are young and still studying they haven’t
had the chance to develop unwanted working habits.
38
– Using interns, cuts down recruitment costs and risks.
– Take advantage of low-cost labour. Interns are inexpensive, their salaries are
significantly lower than staff employees, and sometimes they are even willing to
work at no cost. Moreover, even while their wage requirements are modest, they’re
among the most highly motivated members of the workforce.
39
CHAPTER FIVE
RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
5.1 Recommendations
Because internship is both useful to the intern and to the employer, it should be handled
in a way that will please both partners. Since every business entity is out to maximise
profits by minimising costs, the hierarchy should implement a form motivation to
workers (interns) that will encourage them to work relentlessly and competitively
towards the realisation of the organisation’s stated goals. Hence, the public treasury can
use the following strategies to motivate its workers and interns;
− Using Consultative approach on the workers on individual bases by the boss. This
one-on-one assessment by the boss can boost the intern’s morale thereby greatly
increasing output and productivity,
− Organising end-of-session awards to the best interns in disciplines like; most
devoted and hardworking intern, the earliest intern at work, the most respectful and
obedient intern, the most well-dressed intern etc.
− Issuing certificates of encouragement to the interns who distinguish themselves at
work and in the results they obtain.
− As for interns, because they are not paid, in order to get the best out of them,
hierarchy should assist them with basic needs such as transport fares and other
needed materials like stationeries. This will help relief some of them of the great
transport cost, some of whom can’t easily afford.
− Prepare a written work plan for the student that includes goals, procedures, schedule, and
expected results. Ask students to write a goals statement at the beginning of the internship
and keep a journal to keep track of their progress (supervisors may also find it useful to
40
keep a journal on the intern’s progress). Use the time sheet provided by the Coordinator to
keep track of hours.
− Supervision and training of the intern is the key to success. The more time you can
spend with the intern, the better the result is likely to be. Exercise strong supervision
including regular meetings, progress reports, and deadlines along the way.
− It often is helpful to have the intern keep documentation during the project, in
addition to the hourly log sheet provided, so that you can write the narrative
summary report for the Coordinator. At the end of the semester, ask the intern for a
copy of the report that the intern provides to the Coordinator.
This leadership style will make workers to take their work more seriously than ever.
5.2 Conclusion
Internship to every student is a necessity irrespective of the level or type. In review this
internship has been an excellent and rewarding experience. I have been able to interact
with many people.
For the MBA Programme, internship is mandatory because of the nature of the
programme. Anyone who fails to carry out an internship as a partial fulfilment for this
programme is going to miss out on so many things because theory alone cannot bring
solutions to the many challenging problems that can be encountered in the field.One
main thing that I have learned through this internship is time management skills as well
as self-motivation.
At first the internship seemed boring especially when I did not really understand what to
do but as I gradually progressed, it became so interesting though challenging.
When I first started I did not think that I was going to be able to make myself sit in an
office for eight hours a day, five days a week. I learned that I needed to be organised
41
and have questions ready for when it was the correct time to get feedback. From this
internship and time management I had to learn how to motivate myself through being in
the office for so many hours.
The internship is a key element in the technical writing student's professional
preparation and the internship report is a key element in the internship experience.
In summary, the activities that I had learned during industrial training really are useful
for me in future to face challenges in a working environment. Throughout the industrial
training, I found that several things are important:
Critical and Analytical Thinking: To organize our tasks and assignment, we need to
analyse our problems and assignment, and to formulate a good solution to the problem.
We would have to set contingency plan for the solution, so that we are well prepared for
the unforeseeable situations.
Time Management: As a worker with the treasury, a proper time management is a
major asset if good results are to be attained. An effective time management allows us
to do our assignment efficiently and meet our schedules. I learnt that scheduling avoids
time wastage and allows us to plan ahead, and gaining more as a result.
Colleague Interactions: In working environment, teamwork is vital in contributing to a
strong organisation. Teamwork is also essential in reaching the goals of the organisation
as an entity. Thus, communicating and sharing is much needed in the working
environment. Therefore, we should respect each other in work, and work together as a
team.
I would like to once again appreciate everyone who has made my industrial training a
superb experience
42
REFERENCES
Employer Guide to Structuring a Successful Internship Programme: Collaborative

Effort of all of Rhode Island’s colleges and universities. Published by Bridge
(Connecting Academic, Business and Community).
Sweitzer, H.F. & King, M.A. (1999). The Successful Internship: Transformation &
Empowerment
Exforsys, (2006). The Importance of Internships
MINFI Annual Plan. (2011). Challenges facing the public sector, and our response
MINFI: (2016). Circular No.0000909/C/MINFI of 31 December, 2015. Instructions

relating to the execution of finance laws, the monitoring and the control of the execution
of the budget of the state, administrative public establishments, regional and local
authorities for the 2016 financial year.
MINFI: (2014): Annual Report. (
DGTCFM, (2013). Manuel de Procédures de la Trésorerie Générale
www.dgtcfm.net
43
APPENDIX
TREASURER PAYMASTER
GENERAL
Deputy Treasurer No. 1 Deputy Treasurer No. 2
Private Secretary Audit Brigade General Secretary
Chief of Service Chief of Service Chief of Service Chief of Service Chief of Service
Chief of Service Chief of Service Management
Values, Deposits & Expenditure Local Councils Computer Unit
Accounts & Cash SCTIC Consignments Accounts
Principal Chief of Bureau Chief of Bureau Chief of Bureau Chief of Bureau Chief of Bureau Chief of Bureau Chief of Bureau
Cashier Cash &Accounts Div. Operations Values Material Exp Recovery Stocks General Affairs
Office Agent Office Agent Office Agent Office Agent Office Agent Office Agent
Drivers Security Security

Source: Compiled by Intern, 2016

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UNIVERSITY OF BUEA

FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

An Internship Report on the Organisation and Functioning of the Public Treasury

An Internship Report Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

Semester Exams at the MBA Programme.

duly acknowledged by means of references and quotation marks.

The above declaration is confirmed:

Field Supervisor Date _________________

Business Administration (MBA) with specialisation in Banking and Finance of the

University of Buea. It is therefore approved for its contribution to specific knowledge

and literary presentation.

Field Supervisor Date

despite my daily official assignments in the office.

University of Buea for training me as a professional in the business world. I am much

MBA Programme in the University of Buea.

praying for me to succeed in this programme.

work toward a common goal since it is a network of interrelated services. It was

CERTIFICATION ......................................................................................................... iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................. vii

LIST OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................................. xi

1.1 Background Information on Internship in General ................................................... 1

1.2 Objectives of the Internship ...................................................................................... 1

1.3 Methodology of the Internship.................................................................................. 1

1.3.1 Sources of Data Collection .................................................................................... 2

1.3.2 Methodology of Data Collection ........................................................................... 3

DESCRIPTION OF THE PUBLIC TREASURY

2.1 Brief Description of a Treasury ................................................................................ 4

2.1.1 Description of the Treasury in Cameroon .............................................................. 4

2.2 History of the Treasury in Cameroon ....................................................................... 5

2.2.2 Creation of the Buea Regional Treasury ................................................................ 7

2.2.4 Roles of a Treasury Department ............................................................................ 9

2.2.4.1 Cash Forecasting ................................................................................................. 9

2.2.4.2 Investment Management ................................................................................... 10

2.2.4.3 Fund Raising ..................................................................................................... 10

2.3 The Organisation of the Treasury in Cameroon ..................................................... 10

2.3.1 Personnel Strength in the DGTCFM.................................................................... 11

2.3.2 Personnel Strength at the Buea Regional Treasury.............................................. 12

2.4.1 The Treasurer Paymaster General ........................................................................ 14

2.4.2 The Deputy Treasurer N°1 ................................................................................... 15

2.4.3 The Deputy Treasurer N°2 ................................................................................... 15

2.4.4 The Control and Audit Brigade............................................................................ 16

2.4.6 The Service of Values, Deposits and Consignments ........................................... 17

2.4.7 The Expenditure Service ...................................................................................... 18

2.4.8 The Service of Cash and Accounts ...................................................................... 20

2.4.9 The Service of Management Accounts ................................................................ 21

2.4.9.1 Who Prepares Management Accounts? ............................................................ 22

2.4.9.2 Transmission of Management Accounts to Audit Bench of Supreme Court.... 24

2.4.10 The Bureau of General Affairs .......................................................................... 24

2.4.11 The Local Councils Service ............................................................................... 25

2.5 Internship Department ............................................................................................ 26

DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERNSHIP

3.1 Activities Performed During the Internship ............................................................ 27

3.1.1 Cash and Accounts Service .................................................................................. 27

3.1.2 Expenditure Service ............................................................................................. 27

3.1.3 The Service of Values, Deposits and Consignments ........................................... 28

3.1.4 The Audit and Control Service ............................................................................ 28

3.1.5 The SCTIC Service .............................................................................................. 28

3.1.6 The Management Accounts Service .................................................................... 28

3.1.7 The Council Service ............................................................................................. 29

3.1.8 The General Affairs Bureau ................................................................................. 29

3.2 Problems Encountered duringInternship................................................................. 29

3.2.1 Social Problems Encountered in Handling Assigned Tasks ................................ 29

3.2.2 Technical Problems Encountered in Handling Assigned Tasks .......................... 30