Organisation promoting Central African economic integration suspends activities

An organisation tasked with promoting economic integration among six Central African nations has announced it will suspend most of its activities amid a deep financial crisis. The Commission of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) said it will pause nearly all projects and missions until there is an improvement in the collection of its main source of revenue the Community Integration Tax.

CEMAC, which brings together Cameroon, Gabon, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea, said the financial downturn has led member states to retain the integration tax levied on imports instead of transferring it to the Commission. Estimates indicate that the Commission collected less than half of the tax owed last year, a shortfall that has strained its budget and operations.

To address the funding crisis, CEMAC has called on member states to create an independent mechanism for collecting the integration tax so that funds can be kept separate from national budgets and ensure the Commission has reliable revenue.

As a result of the slowdown in funds, the organisation said it will urgently reduce expenditures by halting administrative meetings and non-essential official missions planned under its 2026 budget. However, activities and missions deemed strategically important will still be allowed to proceed, according to Commission President Baltazar Engonga.

Experts warn that the suspension of operations will likely delay regional infrastructure projects, hinder efforts to promote free movement of people, and slow down economic integration efforts across Central Africa.