A young man uses a cellphone as he waits for an appointment at an MSF (Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders)-run centre for minor migrants without a family in Pantin outside Paris on July 3, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Christophe ARCHAMBAULT
Cameroon’s customs authority has collected 1.8 billion FCFA (about $3 million) in duties and taxes on imported phones, tablets, and digital devices between April and early September 2026. This represents a staggering 1800% increase compared to the previous monthly average of just 100 million FCFA under the old system.
How the new customs mechanism works
The surge in revenue stems from a digitalized customs clearance system launched in April 2026. Under the new framework, import values are categorized into eight brackets ranging from 5,000 to 400,000 FCFA per device. The overall tax rate has been slashed from 67% to 33.33%, making compliance easier while ensuring broader coverage.
Paul Olivier Libii, principal customs inspector and focal point for the reform in Yaoundé, explains: “The transactional value was divided by four, or even seven. Previously, about five million phones evaded the system entirely. These will now be accounted for.”
Mixed reactions from traders and consumers
While the state celebrates the revenue windfall, traders are divided. Seydou, a second-hand phone importer in Yaoundé’s Kennedy Avenue hub, voices concerns: “We import used phones sold here for 20,000 to 25,000 FCFA. Customs no longer registers serial numbers, leading to blocked devices after sale.”
Gérard Fontem, another vendor, reports price hikes: “Prices for cleared phones have nearly doubled, from 45,000 to 85,000 FCFA. Customers now avoid non-cleared devices, but the inflated prices are pushing them away.”
Libii counters that “those complaining about price increases are the ones who previously dodged taxes. Their costs are now aligned with compliant traders.”
Balancing fiscal gains and market disruptions
The reform’s dual goals — boosting state coffers and tightening control over gray-market imports — are reshaping Cameroon’s phone market. While the Treasury benefits from the 1.8 billion FCFA haul, traders face operational hurdles and consumers grapple with higher prices. The long-term impact on affordability and market stability remains to be seen.
