YAOUNDE, Cameroon US News: Cameroon’s National Assembly passed a 8,816.4 billion CFA franc state budget for 2026 late Monday night, a 14 percent jump from the current year and the most ambitious spending plan the Central African nation has adopted in recent memory.
Finance Minister Louis Paul Motazé presented the 2026 finance bill to lawmakers earlier this month, and after hours of heated debate the measure cleared the chamber on December 1. The new budget, worth approximately $14.7 billion at current exchange rates, is designed to accelerate economic recovery, strengthen security, improve health services, and create thousands of jobs for young people and women.
Revenue projections for next year stand at 5,887 billion CFA francs, leaving a deficit of 631 billion CFA francs that officials plan to cover through a combination of foreign loans, domestic borrowing, and treasury securities. Total financing needs, including debt service, are expected to reach 3,104.2 billion CFA francs.
Lawmakers highlighted several standout initiatives in the new spending package. A brand-new Special Fund for Women’s Economic Empowerment and Youth Employment will receive an initial 50 billion CFA francs, fulfilling a campaign promise from President Paul Biya to tackle chronic unemployment in a country where more than six out of ten citizens are under age 25.
Infrastructure also received major attention. The government has committed to building 650 kilometers of new roads in 2026, a move expected to lower transportation costs for farmers and exporters while connecting remote communities to larger markets. Non-oil GDP growth is forecast at 4.3 percent next year, slightly higher than the 3.9 percent projected for 2025, even as mature oil fields push petroleum output down marginally.
Inflation is expected to ease to 3 percent from 3.2 percent this year, helped by price monitoring measures and efforts to diversify import sources for food and fuel.
Despite the upbeat projections, international lenders remain watchful. Both the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank have repeatedly warned that Cameroon faces a high risk of debt distress. The expanded borrowing in the 2026 budget has reignited that debate, with some opposition lawmakers cautioning that heavy reliance on external loans could complicate repayments if commodity prices fall or global interest rates rise.
Supporters of the budget argue that targeted investment today is the only way to break the cycle of slow growth and high youth unemployment. Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute told the assembly last week that labor-intensive projects in agriculture, construction, and digital training will put money directly into the pockets of ordinary Cameroonians.
The timing adds extra symbolism. Cameroon is set to host the World Trade Organization’s 14th Ministerial Conference in March 2026, an event that will put the country’s economic management under a global spotlight.
For now, the National Assembly’s decisive vote signals confidence that bigger spending, paired with disciplined execution, can deliver stronger growth without tipping the country into a debt crisis. Citizens across Douala, Bamenda, and the rural far north will be watching closely to see whether the promises written into the 2026 budget translate into real jobs, better roads, and a more prosperous year ahead.
