Cameroon’s Investment Promotion Agency (IPA) has launched a nationwide awareness campaign around a new investment incentives regime aimed at accelerating project approvals and narrowing the gap between pledged and realised investments under the country’s previous framework.
The reform, introduced under Ordinance No. 2025/002 of 18 July 2025, reduces approval timelines, expands tax and customs incentives and, for the first time, extends benefits to public enterprises operating in competitive sectors.
The IPA held its first awareness workshop recently in Yaounde, bringing together public and private companies, diplomatic missions and development partners. Officials from the IPA, the customs administration and the tax authority presented the fiscal, customs and administrative incentives available under the new regime.
Since the ordinance entered into force in July 2025, 36 investment conventions have been signed under the new framework, representing projected investments of about CFA7 trillion and an estimated 350,000 jobs, according to the IPA.
The agency’s interim general manager, Boma Donatus, said the reform was designed to align Cameroon’s investment policy with the National Development Strategy 2030 (NDS30) while improving competitiveness and speeding up approvals.
“The sectors identified are strategic sectors where government wants to attract foreign direct investment and accelerate structural transformation,” Boma said.
The ordinance targets eight sectors considered critical to economic transformation, including agriculture and agro-industry, energy, transport infrastructure, maritime activities, industry and metallurgy.
It also introduces differentiated incentives based on project size and eligibility criteria, while integrating public-private partnerships (PPPs) and economic zones into a single legal framework.
According to the IPA, the measures include graduated tax credits, accelerated depreciation mechanisms, customs facilities and targeted incentives for operators in special economic zones and firms involved in PPP projects. The agency said the objective is to lower investment costs, strengthen local value chains and encourage export-oriented production.
A central feature of the reform is the creation of a one-stop shop expected to approve investment applications within 10 days, compared with around 25 days previously.
“Bringing this down to 10 days is a clear indication that government is serious about improving the investment climate,” Boma said.
The reform comes after the IPA identified significant implementation gaps under the previous 2013 investment law.
Data presented during the workshop showed that between January 2014 and July 2025, Cameroon signed 462 investment agreements representing nearly CFA15 trillion in projected investments and close to 200,000 forecast jobs.
However, an IPA assessment covering 158 companies between January 2014 and March 2024 showed that realised investments reached only about CFA1.9 trillion, compared with roughly CFA2.744 trillion initially projected. Job creation also fell short, with 16,017 jobs created against 72,055 forecast.
The agency also identified operational weaknesses among approved firms, including rising dependence on debt financing, weak liquidity ratios and recurring administrative bottlenecks. Other constraints cited included limited digitalisation, land access difficulties, energy shortages and compliance challenges.
“These figures show important achievements in terms of industrial creation and technology appropriation, but they also reveal a notable gap between objectives and effective implementation,” Boma said.
Another major change under the ordinance is the extension of incentives to public enterprises competing in commercial sectors, allowing them to benefit from the same exemption regimes as private investors, subject to eligibility conditions.
The reform also introduces stricter reporting obligations and establishes an audit and appeals committee to oversee implementation and handle investor complaints.
“It reassures investors with the range of incentives proposed during both the installation and operational phases of projects,” Boma said.
The IPA added that the investment one-stop shop is being digitalised and is expected to operate virtually in the coming months, allowing investors to submit applications remotely from outside Cameroon.
Mercy Fosoh
