to the monthly public debt update released by the Autonomous Amortization Fund (CAA) on July 27, 2026, as of the end of June 2026, out of the 845.2 billion CFA francs (nearly 1.5 billion USD) representing the outstanding external loans contracted by the State and then retroceded to eleven public enterprises and establishments, 672.3 billion CFA francs (approximately 1.16 billion USD), or nearly 80% of the total amount, are held by Cameroon Telecommunications (CAMTEL), Cameroon Water Utilities Corporation (CAMWATER), the National Electricity Transport Company (SONATREL), and Electricity Development Corporation (EDC). This funding is allocated to 43 projects, focused on telecommunications, water, electricity, housing, and agro-industry.
This outstanding amount has decreased by 3.7% on an annual basis and by 2.9% compared to the end of May 2026, but has increased by 20.2 billion CFA francs, or 2.4%, compared to the 825 billion CFA francs (about 1.4 billion USD) recorded at the end of March 2026. These seemingly contradictory variations are due to the nature of the mechanism itself. Indeed, the evolution of an outstanding amount results from the payments made, new disbursements, and exchange rate fluctuations on loans denominated in dollars, euros, yuan, or special drawing rights.
In detail, CAMTEL alone holds 230.4 billion CFA francs (approximately 398.03 million USD) of this debt, representing 27.3% of the total. These funds are mainly related to the deployment of the national high-speed network and backbone extension. CAMWATER follows with 194.9 billion CFA francs (nearly 337 million USD) allocated to drinking water supply and urban network rehabilitation, accounting for 23.1% of the total retroceded amount.
SONATREL ranks third with 134.9 billion CFA francs (around 233.05 million USD) for the upgrading of the electricity transport network, followed by EDC, with 112.1 billion CFA francs (approximately 194 million USD), notably for the Lom Pangar dam and hydroelectric programs on the Sanaga River. The outstanding amounts of Sodecoton, CAMPOST, and the Cameroon Real Estate Company remain significantly more modest, ranging from 16.8 to 27.4 billion CFA francs each.
It is important to note that this liability is legally distinct from the debt that these enterprises directly contract from banks or suppliers. In the CAA’s classification, the 845.2 billion CFA francs remain recorded in the external debt of the central administration, with the State remaining the formal borrower vis-à-vis lenders.
Compared to the cumulative commitments of the 43 projects, totaling 1.574 billion CFA francs (approximately 2.7 billion USD), the current outstanding amount represents 53.7%. However, this ratio does not exactly measure the remaining amount to be repaid, as some committed funds have not yet been fully disbursed. The persistence of agreements signed as early as 2007 for CAMTEL and CAMWATER also reflects the long-term nature of these infrastructure financing agreements.
