Author: benberga@yahoo.fr

On June 11, 2026, the Cameroonian Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motaze, signed performance contracts between the State of Cameroon, NFC-Bank, and Union Bank of Cameroon (UBC). This ceremony marks a new step for the two banks after their restructuring, in a context of strengthening governance and seeking better efficiency of public financial institutions. These...

As of June 11, 2026, out of the expected 50.204 billion CFA francs (nearly 90 million USD) from the Community Integration Tax (TCI), only 9.384 billion CFA francs (nearly 17 million USD) have been collected, representing an execution rate of 17.70%. This information was made public by the President of the Council of Ministers of...

Equatorial Guinea has undertaken a discreet but decisive operation on its major public projects. This overhaul of the costs of several structuring construction projects has generated savings of over 200 billion CFA francs (approximately $353 million) for the State. Faced with tighter budget margins, the Equatorial Guinean government has chosen to thoroughly review the management...

With the official launch of its activities in Chad, Creditinfo Central Africa (CICA) strengthens its presence in Central Africa. This establishment comes after the start of CICA’s activities in Cameroon in January 2026 and its expansion in the Central African Republic (CAR) at the beginning of June 2026. It confirms the acceleration of the sub-regional...

The National Mining Company (Sonamines) says it is “willing to buy all the gold stocks held by members of the National Syndicate of Purchasing Office Promoters and Gold Miners of Cameroon (Synaprobadiocam)”. This strategic direction is formalized in a letter addressed on June 5, 2026, to the president of Synaprobadiocam, Ousmanou Alhadji Hamadou, by the...

During the night of March 6 to 7, 2026, according to police sources cited by several local media outlets, a gang of suspected robbers attacked the home and gold purchasing company owned by Yacoubou Moussa in Bertoua, the capital of the East region of Cameroon. The suspected robbers made off with 15 kg of gold, equivalent to approximately 1.4 billion CFA francs (nearly 2.5 million USD). The seizure of this quantity of gold by the Regional Division of the Judicial Police of the East of Cameroon reignites the debate on gold traceability in Cameroon, amidst controversies surrounding exports and tightening…

In order to accelerate the digital transition of decentralized territorial communities (CTDs), the Cameroonian government, through the Ministry of Decentralization and Local Development (MINDDEVEL), supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), launched a mobilization of technical and financial partners to raise 92 billion CFA francs (approximately $163 million) on June 2, 2026 in Yaoundé....

The Bank of Central African States (BEAC) has recently tightened the regulatory framework for fund transfers between the diaspora and the countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Chad) of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). Through this measure, the central bank aims to curb circumvention channels that have...

At the end of an inspection mission in the Adamaoua and East regions of Cameroon, the CEO of the National Mining Company (Sonamines), Serge Hervé Boyogueno, provides Financial Afrik with a no-holds-barred analysis of the real state of artisanal and semi-mechanized gold mining. Production thresholds not met, latent insolvency of several operators, environmental deficiencies, persistent opacity in gold marketing, and the ambition to establish a national strategic stock, the head of Sonamines details the financial, regulatory, and sovereign stakes of a mining reform now entering its implementation phase. Interview by Bernard Bangda Mr. CEO, today (June 1, 2026), you have…

On June 1, 2026 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, the 5th edition of the Pro Meet Up (PML5) launched the strategic overhaul of economic integration in Central Africa. Public decision-makers, regional institutions, donors, and private actors gathered around the theme: “Integrative corridors, catalysts for the development of sub-regional value chains.” Participants laid the groundwork for a roadmap...

In 2024, Rwanda earned 8 million USD from exports of 4,200 tons of avocados. This confirms the emergence of this crop as a credible driver of growth for the national agricultural economy. According to the president of the Association of Rwandan exporters of fruits and vegetables to international markets, Robert Rukundo, “avocado is a true...

In Cameroon, the Kribi Hydrocarbon Terminal (KHT) project is entering a decisive phase. Indeed, on June 5, 2026, the Cameroonian Oil Deposits Company (SCDP) and the Autonomous Port of Kribi (PAK) jointly visited the site. This mission follows the President’s approval for project financing, notified on May 22, 2026 by the Secretary General of the...

During the 4th edition of the International Mining Convention and Exhibition of Cameroon (CIMEC) held in Yaoundé in May 2024, the interim Minister of Mines, Fuh Calistus Gentry, awarded the Solidarité minière du Cameroun (SOMCA) company the first prize for innovation in the mining sector in Cameroon. According to the Cameroonian Minister of Mines, “this award was given to SOMCA for the quality and attractiveness of its booth, the strong mobilization on site, and the respect for its societal and environmental commitments.” However, on the ground, everything indicates that “for the past three years, we have been at a standstill,”…

During a meeting on June 4 in Bangui with the Central African Prime Minister, Felix Moloua, the World Bank’s Regional Director, Franz Drees-Gross, announced a financing of $90 million for the Central African Republic (CAR). This support aims to improve land infrastructure and electricity supply, “two major obstacles to sustainable development of the national economy.” In a country without access to the sea and heavily dependent on imports, the quality of roads determines logistical costs and the competitiveness of products in the domestic market. A significant portion of this financing will be dedicated to the rehabilitation of the corridor linking…

The Autonomous Port of Kribi (PAK) has reached a new strategic milestone in strengthening its land connectivity. On June 4, 2026 in Yaoundé, the institution took part in the signing of a framework agreement for the development of the Edéa-Kribi-Lolabé-Campo railway line. The ceremony was held under the chairmanship of Jean Ernest Massena Ngallè Bibehe,...

According to an article from the Swiss non-governmental organization (NGO) Public Eye, published on June 2, 2026 on its website, “the Geneva headquarters of the oil trader Gunvor was raided by Swiss authorities at the beginning of June as part of an investigation by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office for suspicions of corruption of foreign...

In its latest assessments of May 2026, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns Cameroon about the financial consequences of the renationalization of Energy of Cameroon (Eneo), which has since been renamed “Cameroonian Electricity Company (Socadel)”. The international financial institution estimates that “this development transfers unresolved structural charges to the national budget, in a context where budgetary margins remain narrow.” “The public electricity operator, now almost entirely owned by the State (95% of the capital, with 5% held by employees), displays an unbalanced economic model,” says the IMF. And for good reason, explains the Bretton Woods institution, “revenues from billing are…

s release issued on June 2, 2026, the Minister of Finance (Minfi), Louis Paul Motaze, reveals that “out of a total stock of state and its subsidiaries’ floating debt audited for the period 2000-2019, and validated at 752.1 billion CFA francs (approximately 1.33 billion USD), by the end of May 2026, the government has paid...

Out of the 85 billion CFA francs (approximately 150 million USD) sought on the financial market of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), Gabon has finally raised 173.5 billion CFA francs (almost 307 million USD). This represents a subscription rate estimated at 204.15% and more than double what the Gabonese government expected. The...

According to data released by the Pipeline Steering and Monitoring Committee (CPSP), from January to April 2026, the Cameroonian Treasury collected 12.2 billion CFA francs (nearly 22 million USD) in transit fees for the Chad-Cameroon pipeline, which is 1,080 km long. This amount represents an increase of 1.2 billion CFA francs (about 2.1 million USD)...

The Cameroonian government has embarked on a new stage in structuring and capturing revenues from semi-mechanized artisanal mining. A joint mission involving the Ministry of Finance (MINFI), the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development (MINMIDT), and the National Mining Company (SONAMINES) is currently deployed in the regions of East and Adamaoua to collect the...

On May 25, 2026, the Rwandan Ministry of Economy and Finance revealed that the previous week, the financial rating agency S&P Global Ratings had confirmed the maintenance of Rwanda’s sovereign rating at “B+/B”, with a stable outlook. S&P Global Ratings explains its rating by “the resilience of the Rwandan economy, supported by strong growth, strategic investments, and prudent management of public finances, in an international environment still marked by geopolitical tensions and rising energy prices.” Indeed, the agency states that “Rwanda’s economic performance remains robust, with growth estimated at 9.3% in 2025, compared to 7.2% in 2024.” This progress is…

In a tender notice published on its website on May 25, 2026, the Central Bank of Central African States (BEAC) indicates that it is “launching a main liquidity injection operation on the money market” for an amount of 500 billion CFA francs (around 885 million USD). This operation is conducted at variable rates, with a fixed call rate of 4.75%. It takes effect on May 28, 2026 and matures on June 4, 2026. After several irregular banking requests in recent times, this new offer confirms the central bank’s return to a level of intervention that we are used to seeing.…

According to an information note published on its website on May 22, 2026, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a branch of the World Bank Group dedicated to the private sector, will provide $10 million to Coris Bank International Chad (CBI Chad), a local subsidiary of Coris Holding, a banking group founded in Burkina Faso. The IFC publication reveals that this operation will take the form of a five-year senior loan. Half of this loan, $5 million, will be directly funded by the IFC, while other financial partners will complement the funding with a syndicated loan. According to the IFC document,…

According to the 2026-2028 restructuring plan project of the Ministry of Water and Energy, the State plans to mobilize nearly 150 billion CFA francs (approximately 270 million USD) from a pool of local banks. This operation aims to refinance a portion of the company’s short-term debt. The chosen scheme involves converting existing cash credits, estimated...

Fitch Ratings, the American financial rating agency, confirmed on May 22, 2026, Gabon’s sovereign rating at “CCC-” for long-term foreign currency debt. As for the local currency rating, it is also maintained at “CC”, indicating persistent financial vulnerabilities. According to Fitch Ratings, “this status quo reflects strong budget pressures and high financing constraints.” The agency...

In a press release issued on May 21, 2026, the French mining group Eramet announced that it invested nearly 560 billion CFA francs (approximately 994 million USD) in 2025 compared to 494 billion CFA francs (approximately 877 million USD) in 2024. This represents a 13.4% year-on-year increase. These economic benefits are, among other things, the...

In Gabon, the budgetary optimism at the beginning of the year has collided with macroeconomic reality. The amending finance law for 2026, adopted in the Council of Ministers on May 22, 2026, revises the expected growth to 4%, down from the initially announced 6.5%. This 2.5-point adjustment goes beyond a simple technical adjustment. It confirms the reservations expressed earlier in the year by international financial institutions about the robustness of the initial projections. Contrary to popular belief, it is reported that oil is not the cause of this revision. Oil production is now expected to increase by 3.1% in 2026.…

In its public debt outlook note for Cameroon released on May 15, 2026, the Autonomous Amortization Fund (CAA) estimates the amount of Committed But Undisbursed Balances (SEND) to be XAF 5,044.6 billion (approximately USD 9 billion) as of March 31, 2026. This includes budget support amounting to XAF 246.3 billion (approximately USD 438 million). On an annual basis, these balances show a decrease of 5.2%, compared to a quarterly increase of 4.4%, while on a monthly basis, a slight increase of 0.2% is observed. The CAA document also indicates that excluding budget support, XAF 4,798.3 billion (approximately USD 8.5 billion)…

According to the monthly economic outlook on Cameroon’s public debt released on May 15, 2026 by the Autonomous Amortization Fund (CAA), “as of March 31, 2026, the total outstanding public debt of Cameroon stood at 15.416 trillion CFA francs (approximately USD 27.5 billion), representing a notable increase of 6% compared to the same period in...