Cameroon investment at a glance

        Any individual or corporate body duly established in Cameroon may apply for an Investment Charter regime if it is involved in any of the following activities:

        • Processing materials, materials which culminate in the production of a finished or semi-finished good

        • Extracting and processing mineral resources

        • Processing hydrocarbons

        • Logging including timber processing

        • Agricultural and agro-industrial production

        • The clothing industry

        • Stock breeding

        • Small-scale and industrial fishing

        • Processing of farm, animal and fishery products

        • Storage and preservation of foodstuffs

        • Manufacturing building and civil engineering equipment

        • The construction of buildings and realization of public works

        • Maintenance of industrial facilities focusing on the production of spare parts

        • Ship repairs

        • Technological research and statistical data management

        • Hospitals and pharmaceutical laboratories

        • Laboratories for the testing, analysis and control of raw materials, finished or semi finished products used or manufactured by industries

        • Restaurants catering for tourists when they are part of the tourism establishment or located in a tourist site recognized by the tourism service

        Different Schemes, Specific Conditions and Advantages

        In order to promote investments, Cameroon's Investment Charter provides for the following schemes:

        • The Basic Scheme

        • The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) Scheme

        • Strategic Companies scheme.

        These schemes are supplemented by the Free Zone Scheme which is governed by a specific instrument. These schemes are repealed with the advent of Sector Codes provided for by the Law on the investment Charter of Cameroon (Law No. 2002/004 of 19 April 2002).

        Regime Duration Specific Conditions Tax Incentives
        Basic scheme 8 years Job creation per bracket of 10 mil¬lion francs invested.
        Annual exports accounting for at least 25% of the turnover exclusive of taxes.
        Use of national resources to the tune of at least 25% of input value.
        		 Tax incentives for the 3 first schemes

        During the Installation phase:
        - Exemption from registration duties.
        Capital increase deeds.
        - Leases of buildings for professional use.
        - Exemption from duties for the transfer of buildings and land
        SME scheme 10 years Creating permanent Cameroonian jobs to the tune of one job per pro¬grammed investments of CFA F 5 million.
        An investment level less than or equal to CFA F 1,500 million. Participation of Cameroonians or a corporate body governed by Cameroonian law at least equal to 35% of share capital.
        		 During the operational phase Reduction of:

        - 50% of corporate tax (CT)
        - 50% of tax on Industrial and Commercial Benefits (ICB)
        - 50% of proportional tax on Real Estate Capital Income (RECI)

        Carrying over to the results of the following five fiscal years of the deficit due to charging amortizations which are usually taken into account during the first three years.
        Strategic Companies Scheme
        		17 years Priority activity of the Industrialization master plan (IMP).
        Annual exports to the tune of at least 50% of turnover exclusive of taxes.
        Use of local natural resources to the tune of at least 50% of the input value.
        Creating permanent Cameroonian jobs to the tune of at least one job per programmed investment of 20 million CFA F.

        		 Specific Advantages for SME and Strategic schemes only

        - Reduction of taxable income equal to 25% of the wage load to Cameroonian salaried workers.