Payment delays in Cameroonian public finances continue to pose significant challenges, affecting the State's treasury and increasing the stock of arrears, which weighs on businesses and the perception of sovereign risk. During a meeting on February 6, 2026, in Yaoundé, officials from the central and decentralized services of the Ministry of Finance highlighted a persistent weakness in the execution of public expenditure.
Data from the Ministry of Finance reveals a continuous increase in payment delays over the past three fiscal years. These delays, which were around 120 days in 2023, reached 160 days in 2024 and exceeded 200 days in 2025. This trend is attributed to a disconnect between commitments and treasury availability. Public contracts are often concluded late, with a significant concentration of commitments at the end of the year, while resources do not keep pace. In 2023, more than 30% of expenditures were committed during the last months of the fiscal year.
In 2023, out of a total of 3,531 billion FCFA paid, 1,338 billion was disbursed in December, representing nearly 38% of the total. A similar configuration was observed in 2025, with 1,305 billion FCFA paid at the end of the fiscal year out of a total of 3,486 billion, or about 37%. The Ministry of Finance emphasizes that this concentration of payments at the end of the year puts a strain on the State's treasury, leading to delays and carryovers of invoices to the next fiscal year.
This situation contributes to maintaining a high level of arrears. The Audit Chamber of the Supreme Court estimated the stock of arrears at 926.49 billion FCFA as of December 31, 2024. Thanks to the efforts of the Autonomous Sinking Fund, this amount was reduced to 485.4 billion at the end of September 2025, although these figures are still provisional and require consolidation by the Public Treasury.
The consequences of these payment delays extend beyond the administrative sphere. They weaken the cash flow of companies, especially SMEs, which have to bear additional financial costs and delay their investments. On a macroeconomic level, these tensions increase sovereign risk and influence the analyses of rating agencies, in an international context of stricter financing conditions. According to studies, payment delays are responsible for 25% of business bankruptcies. In addition, they are the main cause of cash flow crises, harming the competitiveness and development of companies, which exacerbates Cameroon's domestic debt.
Faced with these challenges, Cameroon's Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motaze, stressed the need to prioritize the payment of external debt to protect the country's financial reputation. He also warned that 2026 would be an extremely difficult year for domestic debt, due to repayments of funding received from development partners under the program agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The government plans to strengthen domestic revenue mobilization to ensure a smooth transition.
In January 2026, Cameroon's difficulties in honoring its bills with French companies, amounting to 274 million euros, raised concerns in French business circles. These payment difficulties particularly affect companies such as Nachtigal Hydro Power Co (NHPC) and TotalEnergies.
