Cameroon has launched a new World Bank-backed programme aimed at digitising government payments through bank accounts and mobile money platforms, as authorities seek to modernise public finance management and improve transparency in state transactions.
The initiative, known as Government-to-Person payments (G2Px), was presented during a two-day workshop in Yaounde organised by the Ministry of Finance in partnership with the World Bank.
The programme focuses on digitising salaries, pensions and social transfers by shifting payments away from cash systems toward electronic transfers through banks and mobile money services.
Officials say the reform is intended to reduce leakages, improve traceability of public funds and strengthen financial inclusion, particularly among women and young people.
“The objective is to put an end to the manipulation of cash which, in the current system, is a source of significant losses and weak transparency in the payment of public expenditure,” said Achille Nestor Basahag, director of accounts at the Ministry of Finance.
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“The reform aims to ensure that payments effectively reach the final recipients through secure digital channels,” he added.
The workshop brought together government officials, payment service providers, development partners and financial sector stakeholders to examine the legal, technical and institutional framework needed to implement the system.
World Bank economist Samba Ba said the reform reflects a broader global shift toward digital public services aimed at improving efficiency and strengthening trust between governments and citizens.
“Everywhere in the world, states are reinventing the way they serve citizens, with greater speed, transparency and efficiency,” Ba said during the event.
“The digitalisation of public services has become an essential condition for economic performance and trust between the state and its citizens,” he added.
According to the World Bank, more than a quarter of adults globally now receive government-related payments such as salaries, pensions or social transfers through formal financial channels.
Officials said Cameroon’s transition toward digital transfers could help reduce transaction costs, improve public spending efficiency and expand access to formal financial services in a country where mobile money adoption has grown rapidly in recent years.
The reform also forms part of the government’s broader digital transformation agenda under President Paul Biya’s economic modernisation programme.
Authorities said implementation is already advancing through the deployment of the Tresopay platform, a digital system designed to manage the collection and payment of public expenditure.
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“At the level of public administrations, this major reform is already being implemented through the deployment of the Tresopay platform dedicated to the collection and payment of public expenditure,” Basahag said.
“The objective is to modernise payment procedures while improving accountability in the management of state funds,” he added.
Experts from the World Bank and other institutions delivered presentations during the workshop on digital payment governance, institutional arrangements and international experiences with government payment digitisation.
The G2Px programme is being implemented globally by the World Bank in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help governments modernise public transfers and improve payment reliability.
Analysts say digital payment reforms could help African governments reduce fraud, strengthen public sector accountability and expand financial inclusion, although infrastructure gaps and limited digital literacy remain significant challenges in several countries.
