Cameroon’s effort to overhaul its electricity pricing system has hit an early obstacle after the government failed to recruit a consultant to help design a new national tariff policy.
The Ministry of Water and Energy declared unsuccessful a call for expressions of interest launched on March 23, 2026, to recruit a consulting firm for the reform. The decision was confirmed in an official notice signed in April.
According to Water and Energy Minister Gaston Eloundou Essomba, the process did not produce enough prequalified firms to move forward with a restricted tender, as required under Article 76, paragraph 4 of Cameroon’s public procurement code. In practical terms, too few applicants met the technical requirements needed to continue the selection process.
The study was expected to serve as the foundation for a broader reform of electricity pricing in a sector facing growing financial pressure. Authorities are trying to reconcile several competing priorities: maintaining the financial viability of operators, controlling production and distribution costs, and ensuring households and businesses have access to reliable and affordable electricity.
Under the terms of reference, the selected consultant would have reviewed the current tariff framework, assessed production, transmission, and distribution costs, and analyzed the economic and social impact of electricity prices on households and businesses.
The assignment also included drafting a new national pricing policy and proposing the institutional and regulatory mechanisms needed to implement it.
Through the reform, the government hoped to strengthen oversight of the electricity sector and improve transparency in tariff setting at a time when the country is seeking to expand electricity access. The future framework was also expected to include social pricing mechanisms, targeted subsidies, and periodic tariff adjustments tied to the real costs of the power system.
The ministry had sought firms with experience in electricity pricing, public utility regulation, and energy-sector reforms. The consulting teams were expected to include specialists in energy economics, tariff modeling, public finance, and regulatory law.
The failed recruitment comes as electricity pricing returns to the center of policy debates.
The government is considering a 15% increase in low-voltage electricity tariffs for business customers consuming more than 220 kWh. The proposal comes after more than a decade of frozen low-voltage tariffs, which have remained unchanged since 2012 despite rising energy production, procurement, and operating costs.
Authorities view the planned adjustment as a partial correction aimed at easing pressure on public finances and helping stabilize an electricity sector still affected by structural imbalances.
Without a consultant to formalize the new pricing framework, however, the broader reform of Cameroon’s electricity tariff system could face further delays.
Amina Malloum
