Government-by-Government Assessments: Cameroon
During the review period, budget documents were widely and easily accessible to the public online. Information in budget documents, however, was incomplete. Information on debt obligations was publicly available and updated quarterly. Allocations to and earnings from state-owned enterprises were not identified in budget documents, and few state-owned enterprises produced financial statements. Limited information on public debt was available, including for state-owned enterprises. The government maintained off-budget accounts not subject to adequate audit or oversight, and there were similar concerns regarding the budget for military and intelligence services. The information in the budget was considered generally reliable. Cameroon’s supreme audit institution meets international standards of independence, but it did not audit the government’s executed budget, and its reports were not publicly available. The criteria and procedures by which the national government awards contracts or licenses for natural resource extraction were specified in law, regulation, or other public documents. The government appeared to follow applicable laws and regulations in practice. Basic information on natural resource extraction awards was publicly available. Cameroon’s fiscal transparency would be improved by:
* including allocations to and earnings from state-owned enterprises in its budget;
* making audited financial statements for state-owned enterprises publicly available;
* making comprehensive public debt obligations publicly available, including for state-owned enterprises;
* eliminating off-budget accounts or subjecting them to adequate audit and oversight;
* subjecting military and intelligence budgets to civilian oversight; and
* auditing the government’s executed budget and making its reports publicly available.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
