Discusses the legal requirements for selling to the host government, including whether the government has agreed to abide by the WTO Government Procurement Agreement or is a party to a government procurement chapter in a U.S. FTA. Specifies areas where there are opportunities.
Last Published: 8/6/2019

Many governments finance public works projects through borrowing from Multilateral Development Banks.  Please refer to “Project Financing” Section in the “Trade and Project Financing” chapter for more information.

Cameroon has observer status in the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Government Procurement Committee. Domestically, government procurement generally follows a public call for tenders and a competitive selection process.  Government ministers and state-owned enterprises can award and sign contracts.  Government procurement contracts equal to or above $10,000 must also pass through an open tender process supervised by a contract awarding committee put in place by the Ministry of Public Contracts, which evaluates bids and advises the designated project owner on the selection.  International invitations to tender are sometimes published on the internet and local newspapers. 

Though there is a growing call for decentralization, all government procurement remains tightly controlled at the national level.

An entry point for securing a government procurement contract is the public private partnership (PPP) framework.  Cameroon has established a general legal framework for PPP contracts, under which government project owners can grant contracts to private entrepreneurs following a mutual agreement to commence a project.  In this context, contracts for large infrastructure projects (roads, buildings, ports, dams) are subject to the control and monitoring of special committees in the Prime Minister’s Office. 

U.S. firms, particularly small and medium-sized entreprises, should understand that any government procurement takes months, if not years, to complete.  Cameroon’s consensus-driven decision making process slows down government procurement at all levels.  On most projects, at least four government agencies (Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economy and Planning, Ministry of Public Contracts, and the Autonomous Sinking Fund), in addition to the requesting ministry, and likely, the Presidency, must agree to move forward at every level of development. 

Prepared by the International Trade Administration. With its network of more than 100 offices across the United States and in more than 75 markets, the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.