1998LY022009

Publication autorisée par le jury

368 ref.

Thèse de doctorat Sciences économiques Lyon 2 1998

PARTANT DE L'HYPOTHESE PRINCIPALE SELON LAQUELLE LE MILIEU RURAL EST CAPABLE DE MOBILISER DES RESSOURCES PROPRES POUR ASSURER LE FINANCEMENT DE L'ENSEMBLE DES ACTIVITES ECONOMIQUES EN SON SEIN, CETTE THESE ANALYSE LES MECANISMES DE FONCTIONNEMENT ET EVALUE LES PERFORMANCES DU SYSTEME D'EPARGNE RURALE CAMEROUNAIS EN S'APPUYANT SUR LE CAS DE LA PROVINCE DE L'OUEST. A L'AIDE DE LA METHODE DE MICRO-OBSERVATION PAR ENQUETES, COMBINANT DES ANALYSES QUALITATIVES ET QUANTITATIVES, LA THESE ETUDIE LES COMPORTEMENTS INDIVIDUELS D'EPARGNE D'UNE PART ET LA STRUCTURE INSTITUTIONNELLE DU SYSTEME DE COLLECTE AINSI QUE SES PERFORMANCES D'AUTRE PART. L'ANALYSE DES COMPORTEMENTS INDIVIDUELS SOUS-TENDUE PAR UNE APPROCHE SOCIOECONOMIQUE MONTRE L'EXISTENCE D'UNE GRANDE DIVERSITE DES PRATIQUES AVEC CEPENDANT GLOBALEMENT DEUX GRANDES CATEGORIES : LES PRATIQUES D'EPARGNE EN NATURE ET LES PRATIQUES MONETAIRES. L'EVALUATION DES DETERMINANTS DE L'EPARGNE MONTRE QUE LES FACTEURS ECONOMIQUES ET NOTAMMENT LE TAUX D'INTERET JOUENT UN ROLE RELATIVEMENT LIMITE. ILS SONT SUPPLANTES PAR LES FACTEURS SOCIAUX. LES EPARGNANTS ACCORDENT UNE TRES GRANDE IMPORTANCE A LA SECURITE DE LEUR EPARGNE QUI EST PAR AILLEURS PRIORITAIREMENT DESTINEE A LA REALISATION DES PROJETS. L'ETUDE DU SYSTEME D'EPARGNE A ADOPTE LE DECOUPAGE EN TROIS COMPOSANTES INFORMELLE, SEMI-FORMELLE ET FORMELLE. UNE GRILLE D'EVALUATION DES PERFORMANCES ASSOCIANT DES CRITERES ECONOMIQUES ET SOCIAUX, ET COMBINANT L'ANALYSE QUALITATIVE ET QUANTITATIVE A ETE ELABOREE. SON APPLICATION AU SYSTEME MONTRE UNE GRANDE DISPARITE ENTRE LES COMPOSANTES. LE SYSTEME EST CEPENDANT CAPABLE DE SOUTENIR LE FINANCEMENT DE L'ECONOMIE RURALE MOYENNANT QUELQUES AMENAGEMENTS INCLUANT UNE INTERVENTION CONTROLEE DE L'ETAT POUR GARANTIR LA SECURITE ALIMENTAIRE DU PAYS.

FROM THE GENERAL HYPOTHESIS THAT THE RURAL SECTOR CAN MOBILISE INTERNAL FINANCIAL RESOURCES THROUGH SAVINGS TO SUPPORT ITS DEVELOPMENT, THIS THESIS ANALYSES THE FUNCTIONING AND ASSESS PERFORMANCES OF THE RURAL SAVING SYSTEM OF CAMEROON, USING THE WEST PROVINCE AS A CASE STUDY. A FIELD SURVEY WAS CARRIED, AND FOLLOWED BY BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS TO ASSESS SAVING BEHAVIOUR OF RURAL POPULATIONS AND UNDERSTAND THE INSTITUTIONAL SETTING OF THE SAVING COLLECTION SYSTEM, IN ORDER TO DETERMINE ITS PERFORMANCES. THE STUDY OF INDIVIDUAL SAVING BEHAVIOUR, USING A SOCIECONOMIC APPROACH SHOWS THAT THERE IS A BROAD DIVERSITY IN SAVING PRACTICES RECORDED, BUT THEY CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO SAVINGS IN KIND AND SAVINGS IN CASH. THE RESULTS OBTAINED ALSO SHOW THAT ECONOMIC FACTORS, INCLUDING INTEREST RATE PLAY A LIMITED ROLE AS SAVING DETERMINANTS. THEY ARE OVERWHELMED BY SOCIAL FACTORS WHICH APPEAR TO BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EXPECTED. SAVERS ATTACH A GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE SECURITY OF THEIR SAVINGS, WHICH ARE MAINLY USED TO FINANCE INVESTMENT PROJECTS. THE SAVING SYSTEM WAS THEN DIVIDES INTO THREE COMPONENTS : INFORMAL, SEMI-FORMAL AND FORMAL FOR ANALYTICAL PURPOSES. A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MATRIX WAS DESIGNED, USING BOTH SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CRITERIA, AND COMBINING QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE ANALYSES. ITS APPLICATION TO THE SAVING COLLECTION SYSTEM SHOWS A SIZEABLE DISPARITY AMONG THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS. THE MAJOR CONCLUSION IS THAT DESPITE ITS LIMITATIONS, THE RURAL SAVING SYSTEM CAN MOBILISE ENOUGH FUNDS FOR APPROPRIATE FUNDING OF THE RURAL SECTOR, PROVIDED SOME ADJUSTMENTS ARE MADE, INCLUDING STATE INTERVENTION TO SECURE ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR AGRICULTURE AND TO PRESERVE FOOD SECURITY IN THE COUNTRY.