(Business in Cameroon) – Between 2012 and 2024, the Cameroon Subcontracting and Partnership Exchange (BSTP CMR) facilitated 430 signed contracts worth an estimated 47.7 billion CFA francs, creating about 10,196 jobs. These figures are from the recently adopted parliamentary report on the subcontracting regime bill.
During this period, 2,502 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs/SMIs) were identified in key sectors such as energy, construction, and public works. Of these, 246 participated in benchmarking activities, 1,203 received support in quality management processes, and 526 benefited from technical capacity building.
Despite these numbers, the actual impact of BSTP CMR remains marginal. Data analysis shows that barely 1% of public procurement contracts went to subcontracting SMEs registered with the Exchange. This averages 34 contracts annually out of the 5,479 recorded between 2020 and 2024.
This rate falls significantly short of the government’s target of reserving at least 40% of public contract value for local SMEs. This shortfall represents an estimated loss of 224 billion CFA francs for these companies.
Two major projects illustrate the scale of missed opportunities. The Nachtigal dam, costing nearly 800 billion CFA francs, could have generated about 320 billion CFA francs in subcontracting for local SMEs. The Memve’ele project, estimated at 243 billion CFA francs, could have offered 420 billion CFA francs in subcontracting contracts, according to the parliamentary report.
To reverse this trend, Parliament has adopted a new subcontracting law. This law now mandates national preference for large-scale or flagship projects. The text notably provides for a mandatory advance payment of at least 30% at the start of a contract. This amount will be later deducted from services proportional to work progress.
Drafted with the support of the European Union and UNIDO, BSTP CMR, the bill aims to structure and revitalize Cameroon’s subcontracting sector.
Frédéric Nonos
