Activation Policies for the Poor in OIC Member States
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for those that fall out of the educational system rather that as an equivalent choice. Vocational routes
could be developed as an equivalent route from school and given equal priority for students who can
make an informed choice on their route to prepare for employment.
The element of activation included in the support of low income households could be increased.
Payments are made to a number of low income households, but these social assistance payments
could drive greater engagement with the labour market if there was a greater link to work. There
could be an increased number of checks on the income status of low income households and a
greater link to participation in the labour market or labour market support available.
Employer engagement and involvement in the design of programmes may be increased.
Effective employment programme design engages employers in the design of the employment
support available. Employers could be engaged in the design of programmes to ensure they fit with
the requirements of employers.
Supporting infrastructure
The bureaucratic burden on training providers and employers could be reduced.
There is a lot of regulation and monitoring of training providers and employers. Although the NDTS
programme relies on the participation of employers and the quality of training provision, a balance
needs to be struck between monitoring and compliance and the delivery of the training. A review
could be undertaken of the amount of time required to complete training and those of monitoring.
This information could be used to assess if the appropriate balance is being struck and ensure
sufficient focus on delivery.
3.3 Cameroon
3.3.1 Background
Cameroon has a low unemployment rate which stood at just 3.8% in 2012.88 However, this figure
does not accurately explain the true employment situation in the country. The figure masks the two
key challenges facing Cameroon’s labour market: a large informal sector and a high rate of
underemployment. Due to the lack of comprehensive social assistance, individuals cannot afford not
to work. The challenge workers face is in finding decent work, as explained earlier in this report.
Underemployment and the informal sector are significant challenges both because of their scale and
their impact on poverty. Underemployment means that workers struggle to earn above the poverty
line. In the case of visible underemployment, this is because they involuntarily do not work enough
hours. In the case of invisible underemployment, it is because they are not paid the minimum wage
(this is 28,500 CFAF per month for a working week of 40 hours, equivalent to US$54.5089). It is
invisible underemployment which most workers are affected by.
Workers in the informal sector are not covered by social protection and, in general, income
generated by informal sector activities does not alleviate poverty.90 Whereas less than 10% of
workers in the public sector or the formal private sector are poor, 56.9% of informal agricultural
sector workers are poor and 22.2% of informal non-agricultural sector workers are poor.91 The
Cameroonian poverty rate is based on a poverty line of 738 CFAF per day (equivalent to US$1.4192).
88 SESRIC, statistics and databases, available at:
infigures.php?c_code=12&cat_code=1
89 Based on a conversion rate as at 19th November 2014.
90 Growth and employment strategy paper
91 INS, Conditions de vie des populations et profil de pauvreté au Cameroun en 2007: rapport principal de l’ECAM 3, December 2008
92 Based on a conversion rate as at 16th November 2014.