(Business in Cameroon) - On April 15, 2021, the Council of Ministers of the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) held a videoconference under the chairmanship of the Cameroonian Minister of Forests and Wildlife, Jules Doret Ndongo. According to official sources, one of the main items on the agenda was the poor financial situation of this sub-regional organization (whose membership includes countries such as Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Rwanda).

The communiqué issued at the end of the meeting states that the council expressed its concerns over the COMIFAC’s financial situation and urged "the ministers to submit this long-standing issue to the national decision-making bodies." It adds that during the meeting, Rwanda, CAR, and Chad promised to take measures for the "forthcoming payment of their contributions."

In the Central African region, the payment of statutory contributions necessary for the operation of sub-regional organizations is a real problem. Even the CEMAC Commission is affected. For instance, at end-2020, Daniel Ona Ondo (President of the CEMAC Commission) estimated the community integration tax arrears owed by CEMAC countries at about XAF80 billion. This situation generally affects the operations of those community institutions whose effectiveness is questioned by many experts.  

BRM