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The Commission of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) has announced that nearly all projects and missions will be suspended pending an improvement in the collection of the Community Integration Tax.
An organization promoting regional economic integration among six Central African countries has suspended its operations due to a severe financial crisis. The Commission of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community stated that nearly all projects and missions will be put on hold while awaiting better collection of the Community Integration Tax.
CEMAC comprises Cameroon, Gabon, Chad, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea. It indicated that, facing financial shortfalls, member states are withholding the tax levied on imports—its primary revenue source—instead of transferring it to the Commission.
CEMAC has urged member states to establish an independent mechanism for collecting this tax as a dedicated resource, separate from national budgets. Estimates suggest the Commission collected less than half of the integration tax due last year. The suspension aims to urgently cut expenditures, including halting administrative meetings and non-essential official missions planned under the 2026 budget.
However, the Commission’s President, Baltazar Engonga, stated that activities and missions deemed strategically important will still be allowed to continue.