Cameroonian officials and SME stakeholders have recommended accelerating the digitalization of Approved Management Centres (CGAs) and improving access to tax incentives as part of a broader drive to bring more small and medium-sized enterprises into the formal economy. The proposals were among eight recommendations adopted at the 11th awareness caravan on SME membership in CGAs, held on September 1 and 2, 2026, in Douala.
Organized by the Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts (MINPMEESA), the meeting brought together public administrations, local authorities, CGA promoters, technical and financial partners and business operators.
Participants recommended wider dissemination and effective implementation of incentives contained in the 2026 Finance Law. They also called for stronger collaboration between local authorities and CGAs, additional training for CGA managers and public officials, and more diversified business support services.
The recommendations include campaigns explaining the reform of local taxation and the General Synthetic Tax, alongside new strategies to increase SME membership in the centers. According to MINPMEESA, the measures are intended to strengthen tax compliance, improve enterprise management and support the gradual formalization of economic activity.
Incentives target formal-sector transition
Opening the caravan, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Minister Achille Bassilekin III highlighted tax incentives designed to encourage business formalization and employment.
Under the 2026 Finance Law, companies under the actual earnings tax system or belonging to an Approved Management Centre can benefit for three years from exemptions from taxes and employer contributions on wages paid to Cameroonian graduates under 35 hired for a first job, pre-employment internship or professional work-study contract, excluding social security contributions. Employers can also claim a tax credit equal to 20% of eligible spending on their training, supervision and professional integration.
Bassilekin said the caravan was intended to assess implementation of the measures and CGA membership as part of efforts to gradually formalize Cameroon’s economy. The formalization drive is particularly focused on Douala. Bassilekin said the city accounts for about 38% of Cameroon’s formal SMEs, according to Cameroon Tribune.
CGAs operate across Cameroon, providing businesses with management assistance and support in meeting their tax obligations. The centers are intended to help small businesses improve management and better comply with tax requirements.
Cameroon Tribune reported that the Douala discussions would also feed into preparations for the 2027 Finance Law. The scale of the task remains significant. A 2017 survey of informal enterprises cited in a 2024 analysis by the Nkafu Policy Institute showed that only 31% of self-employed operators had a tax card, 10% were registered with the Trade and Personal Property Credit Register and 2% were affiliated with the National Social Insurance Fund.
MINPMEESA said the adopted recommendations are aimed at improving tax transparency, strengthening SME competitiveness and supporting the broader formalization of economic activity.
Mercy Fosoh