According to the Cameroonian Minister of Finance (Minfi), Louis Paul Motaze, “despite a 15% to 17% increase in the price of a barrel on the international market, Iranian refineries have not been affected. The pump price therefore remains stable in Cameroon.” Translation: the conflict between Israel and Iran will not lead to an increase in fuel prices in Cameroon. Louis Paul Motaze made this statement on June 30, 2025, in front of members of the finance and budget committee of the National Assembly who were concerned about this issue.
From official sources, it is learned that the Minfi’s intervention before the national representation is taking place as the government is preparing to present a budget ordinance to adjust the 2025 budget law to parliamentarians. According to Louis Paul Motaze, the drafting of this document predates the war between Israel and Iran.
However, according to Laurice Serge Eteki Eloundou, a Cameroonian economist, “a possible increase in crude oil prices could lead to an increase in revenues for the National Hydrocarbons Company (SNH).” The assurances from the Cameroonian government regarding the increase in fuel prices at the pump come at a time when imports of refined petroleum products have been on the rise since the shutdown, in 2019, of the National Refinery Company (Sonara), the country’s only refinery. In the event that the deputies’ concerns materialize in the medium term, the aforementioned Cameroonian economist indicates that “this situation could disrupt budgetary balances.”
