(Business in Cameroon) – Starting in 2025, all public procurement procedures in Cameroon will be fully digitized, marking a significant shift toward modernization. To prepare for this change, the Minister of Public Procurement, Ibrahim Talba Malla, launched a national awareness campaign on October 10, 2024, in Yaoundé. This campaign focuses on the use of a dedicated platform called the Cameroon Online E-Procurement System (Coleps).
The Coleps was initiated in 2018 with financial support from the South Korean government. Its goal is to streamline contracting processes in public procurement while reducing face-to-face interactions among stakeholders. These interactions can often lead to corrupt practices. It is worth noting that in its 2018 report, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Conac) identified the Ministry of Public Procurement as the most corrupt agency in the country.
Despite the intention to reduce corruption, the complete digitalization of procedures may face challenges in becoming fully operational by 2025. One reason is the lack of interest shown by various government departments toward using the Coleps. For example, out of the 7,800 public contracts scheduled online in Cameroon in 2021, only 104 contracts were awarded through this platform, according to a report on the implementation of digital procedures presented on July 25, 2022, in Yaoundé.
During a cabinet meeting presentation on February 24, 2022, Minister Talba Malla highlighted the reasons for this situation. He pointed out that the low number of contracts processed digitally, compared to the total volume of public orders, can be attributed to various technical constraints and resistance to change. Many stakeholders find electronic procedures complex and difficult to navigate.
