The Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC Commission) is grappling with a deepening financial crisis as member states fail to fully transfer funds from the Community Integration Tax (TCI), its primary source of revenue, according to the Commission’s 2025 general report presented at a plenary session of the Community Parliament in Malabo.
Of the CFA51.9 billion expected in 2025, only CFA31.09 billion was collected, representing a recovery rate of just 59.9 percent. While Cameroon and Gabon met or exceeded their minimum contributions, other member states made no payments, leaving arrears totaling CFA263.5 billion and severely constraining the Commission’s operational capacity.
Cameroon accounts for CFA59.9 billion of the arrears, approximately 23% of the total, placing it behind the Central African Republic (CFA61.8 billion) but ahead of Congo (CFA52.2 billion), Chad (CFA49.1 billion), Equatorial Guinea (CFA34.1 billion), and Gabon (CFA6.1 billion).
The report emphasizes the need for stricter enforcement of the autonomous TCI collection mechanism. “The strict implementation of the autonomous TCI recovery mechanism is a strategic imperative to ensure the Community’s financial sustainability,” it states, estimating that full mobilization could recover between 45% and 55% of outstanding contributions.
Funding Bottleneck Slows Integration Agenda
Persistent arrears and weak collection mechanisms have slowed regional integration initiatives. The report notes that financing remains the principal obstacle to implementing the Community’s mandate. Despite sectoral progress, institutional capacity gaps and delayed national execution have limited the impact of reforms.
Without timely payments from member states, the Commission warns that its reform agenda will continue to lag behind political ambitions, and several integration projects may remain stalled.
Emergency Measures to Preserve Liquidity
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To manage the funding shortfall, the Commission has activated emergency measures. A letter dated February 5, 2026, from Commission President Baltasar Engonga Edjo’o announced the temporary suspension of non-strategic activities and missions. The aim is to maintain essential operations while awaiting improved cash flows.
The TCI, levied at 1 percent on imports from third countries under the common external tariff, is designed as a dedicated revenue source for regional integration. While the mechanism provides a theoretically autonomous income stream, irregular transfers by member states have undermined the Commission’s financial architecture.
The report stresses that while institutional frameworks have improved and strategic planning has become clearer, progress depends on the political will of member states to implement decisions, ensure financial support, and take ownership of the integration process.
The CEMAC Commission’s financial strain underscores the broader challenge of enforcing fiscal discipline within regional economic blocs. Analysts say that unless arrears are addressed and the TCI system strengthened, the bloc’s capacity to drive regional integration, fund development projects, and implement reforms will remain constrained.
The CEMAC Commission is the executive arm of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), a regional bloc comprising six member states: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. The Commission is tasked with implementing regional policies, coordinating integration projects, and managing the bloc’s budget and resources.
A key source of the Commission’s funding is the Community Integration Tax (TCI), a levy of 1% on imports from third countries under the common external tariff. The TCI is intended to provide the Community with a dedicated and autonomous revenue stream to finance regional integration projects, institutional operations, and cross-border initiatives.
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Despite this design, member states’ irregular payment of contributions has historically created liquidity challenges for the Commission. When states fail to remit their TCI obligations, the bloc struggles to fund its mandates, slowing the implementation of integration initiatives such as infrastructure projects, trade facilitation, and policy harmonization.
The CEMAC region faces broader structural and economic challenges that affect TCI collection, including fiscal constraints in member states, administrative capacity gaps, and uneven implementation of financial regulations. Arrears have accumulated over time, with individual member states contributing unevenly, creating tensions around fairness and financial sustainability.
To mitigate these challenges, the Commission has implemented measures such as an autonomous TCI recovery mechanism, emergency operational adjustments, and calls for stronger coordination among member states. Strengthening compliance with TCI obligations is viewed as essential to ensuring the Commission’s financial health, enabling the continuation of integration projects, and supporting economic development across Central Africa.
Analysts emphasize that improving fiscal discipline, institutional capacity, and political commitment among member states is critical for the success of CEMAC’s regional integration agenda and the stability of its financial architecture.
