(Business in Cameroon) - A report of the National Anti-Commission accuses Camtel, MTN and Orange of owing the sum of FCfa 170 billion to the Cameroonian state, the breakdown being a little more than FCfa 76 billion for MTN; FCfa 76.3 for Orange and 18.1 billion for Camtel, the public operator. These amounts according to CONAC represent the cumulative sum of certain taxes (on advertising, gambling activities, etc) not paid to the tax authorities, as well as unpaid royalties to the Regulator ART.

In a "correction to the record" made public on 21 January 2016, Orange Cameroon contested the report of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (CONAC) presented in Yaoundé on 19 January, and which blamed this mobile telephone operator of certain irregularities leading to the non-payment of taxes and other royalties, to the tune of FCfa 76.3 billion. "Orange Cameroon, respectful of the institutions of the Republic, learned through the press that it appears on a list of companies accused by a report of the National Anti-Corrution Commission (CONAC)", highlights the telephone operator.

Having mentioned "that it is a corporate citizen, whose actions follow the most demanding ethical standards and known as such throughout the world", Orange Cameroon "is delighted to contribute in a significant manner to the socio-economic development of the country, notably in paying in full all the royalties and taxes it is subject to, in accordance with applicable regulations". Moreover the company announces "its permanent availability to provide any relevant clarification in case of need".

With this rejoinder from Orange Cameroon, it is finally the three telecom operators accused of different irregularities by CONAC to the detriment of the Cameroonian Treasury, who contest the report produced by this body in charge of fighting corruption in the country.

Camtel and MTN also...

Camtel was the first to challenge the CONAC report on 20 January, stating that the data in it "neither reflected the current debt of the company to the tax authorities, let alone Camtel obligations to national financial institutions". And the national telecoms operator continued by revealing that on 6 October 2015 "a netting agreement" signed with the government of Cameroon turned out to "be in favour of Camtel, for a total amount of FCfa 15,296,426,414".

The following day, MTN Cameroon, in an official communiqué, also called the CONAC report into question, stating that "it was a perfectly responsible investor up-to-date with its fiscal obligations to different competent authorities", and that this company "is not and has never been involved in corrupt actions, in the pursuit of its activities".

This is not the first time that a CONAC report has been contested in Cameroon. One recalls some years ago, a report on the supervision of the Ayos-Bonis road works, between the Central and Eastern regions, raised protests, as did the report published some months ago on the management of Sodecoton, the flagship in agribusiness in the north of the country.

Brice R. Mbodiam

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21-01-2016 - Cameroun : MTN, Orange et Camtel doivent à l’Etat 170 milliards Fcfa suite à plusieurs irrégularités