(Business in Cameroon) – As of September 16, 2024, the payment and collection of wharfage fees and the associated Value Added Tax (VAT) in Cameroon have gone digital. These fees, related to loading and unloading goods on ships, are now automatically calculated and collected through the Cameroon Customs Information System (Camcis), the country’s customs software.
This reform, first announced on August 6, 2024, by Finance Minister Louis Paul Motaze, follows a ministerial order from September 21, 2000, which set the prices for wharfage and handling services. According to the Ministry of Finance, the VAT rate stands at 19.25%, with 17.5% as the main rate and an additional 10% of the main rate allocated to local authorities. Exports, however, benefit from a zero VAT rate. The exact amount for wharfage fees depends on the specific operations conducted.
The “Customs Newsletter,” published on September 16, 2024, outlines the new payment process. Shippers pay all fees, including customs duties and taxes, through digital channels available at banks. Once paid, each wharfage operator receives their portion directly in their bank account, as per the agreement between the Ministry of Finance, Apeccam, and Guce. Wharfage operators can track fee collections in real-time using the e-Guce platform, an electronic system that manages import and export procedures at the single window for foreign trade operations.
The goal of this digital transformation is to streamline customs procedures for businesses and secure tax revenues. By reducing human intervention, it aims to minimize the risks of fraud and corruption. The system is part of an ongoing effort to create a one-stop payment portal for businesses, making it easier to pay all taxes in one place.
This move toward digitalization is expected to improve the flow of trade and enhance the collection of VAT without relying on manual declarations from wharfage operators. It is also seen as a step toward modernizing foreign trade procedures, which should boost activity at Cameroon’s main ports Douala, Limbe, and Kribi and attract more investment.
