(Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon is currently preparing to issue new forest concession licenses in the Littoral and the North-West. In that regard, Minister of Forestry and Wildlife Jules Doret Ndongo recently signed a call for expression of interest inviting forestry companies operating in the country to submit their offers by September 18, 2021.

According to the call, a total of 57,190 hectares of forest will be conceded, 45,794 hectares in the North-west (Donga-Mantug) and 11,396 hectares in the Litoral (Nkam). Through that initiative, authorities aim to boost logging operations in the country, open up the regions where those forest concessions are located, and help develop them.

Let’s note that according to Cameroonian laws, forest operators have to pay forest taxes, part of which are sent to communal authorities for development projects. Nevertheless, there are questions about the management of those financial resources sent to communes because most of the communes with booming forest activities are still so poor despite the forest taxes that sometimes amount to billions.

Brice R. Mbodiam