IPA begins nationwide campaign to promote new investment law, incentives.

The reforms are aimed at accelerating approvals for investors, boosting strategic sectors and attracting large-scale projects worth trillions of francs CFA. 

The campaign was launched during a workshop organised by the IPA in Yaounde on May 8, 2026. The event brought together public and private companies, diplomatic missions and development partners to discuss Ordinance No.2025/002 of July 18, 2025 fixing investment incentives in Cameroon.

Speaking during the workshop and later in an interview with reporters, the Interim General Manager of IPA, Boma Donatus, said the new ordinance replaces the 2013 investment incentives law and aligns investment policy with Cameroon’s National Development Strategy 2030, NDS30. 

Boma said the reform was designed to strengthen Cameroon’s attractiveness amid growing global competition for capital, technology and industrial projects.

“This ordinance gives a strong signal to investors that Cameroon is ready for investment. It brings many innovations into the investment space in Cameroon, facilitates access to incentives and creates a new legal framework with a one-stop shop that will soon grant investment approvals within ten days,” Boma said.

New regime targets strategic sectors

According to IPA boss, eight strategic sectors identified under the national development strategy are being prioritised under the new regime. 

The sectors, he said, include agriculture and agro-industry, energy, maritime transport, rail transport, infrastructure, industry and metallurgy. Boma explained that the reform harmonises Cameroon’s development strategy with its investment incentives framework for the first time.

He furthered that the ordinance introduces simpler eligibility conditions for investors seeking incentives, with companies expected to demonstrate their use of local raw materials, employment of Cameroonians and plans for technology transfer. 

Boma said the government was also seeking to encourage foreign direct investment into sectors considered critical for structural transformation and industrialisation.

“The criteria for eligibility are no longer cumulative and are much simpler to meet. Investors must show they will employ Cameroonians, use local raw materials and ensure technology transfer. This is a clear indication that government is serious about attracting investment,” he stated.

IPA cites gaps under old law

Presenting the performance of the previous law, Boma disclosed that between January 2014 and July 2025, some 462 conventions were signed under the 2013 regime for projected investments estimated at nearly CFAF15,000 billion and close to 200,000 projected jobs. 

According to the IPA boss, an evaluation conducted by the IPA on 158 responding companies revealed that only about 1,900 billion FCFA of the planned 2,744 billion FCFA investments had effectively been realised by March 2024, while 16,017 jobs were created against over 72,000 projected.

He said the assessment also exposed financial and operational weaknesses among approved companies, including declining solvency, rising debt dependence, insufficient digitisation, land access problems, energy constraints and administrative bottlenecks.

The ordinance, he explained, seeks to address those shortcomings through tax credits, accelerated depreciation measures, operational customs regimes and incentives linked to public-private partnerships, economic zones and priority development areas.

Public firms now eligible for incentives

One of the major innovations highlighted during the workshop was the extension of investment incentives to public enterprises operating in competitive sectors. 

Boma said public corporations would now be able to benefit from the same exemptions and investment facilities granted to private investors, provided they meet eligibility requirements and submit applications through the reinforced one-stop shop.

He added that the ordinance also introduces stricter reporting obligations, joint validation mechanisms involving customs authorities and the creation of an audit and appeal committee to strengthen transparency and oversight.

“There will be an audit and control committee acting like a gendarme over the work of the IPA. Investors who believe they have been unfairly treated can appeal, and the committee will have fifteen days to deliver a final decision binding on the IPA,” Boma explained.

36 new conventions already signed

The interim GM disclosed that since the ordinance entered into force in July 2025, Cameroon has already signed 36 conventions under the new regime, representing projected investments of about CFAF7,000 billion and an estimated 350,000 jobs.

He said the figures reflected the country’s ambition to attract projects with stronger local economic impact. The IPA boss also announced ongoing plans to digitalise the one-stop shop, allowing investors anywhere in the world to submit and process investment applications virtually.

“We are putting in place a virtual one-stop shop where investors from anywhere in the world will be able to submit applications and obtain approvals through fully digital procedures. Cameroon is ready for business and has established a legal and regulatory framework that allows people to invest without fear or favour,” Boma declared.

Sensitisation campaign to continue nationwide

According to the interim GM, the Yaounde workshop marked the first in a series of sensitisation seminars planned across the country’s ten regions and eventually abroad. 

He stated that the campaign aims to help investors understand the incentives available during both the installation and operational phases of projects, including incentives linked to PPP projects and economic zones. 

The IPA also reassured investors that it would continue supporting businesses throughout their investment cycles in Cameroon under the new framework.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3786 of Monday May 11, 2026