By Nformi Sonde Kinsai
The Minister of Finance, MINFI; Louis Paul Motazé, has stated that the 2026 Finance Law is that of continuity within the framework of the 2020-2030 National Development Strategy – a government reference action tool to structurally transform the economy, strengthen its resilience in the face of internal and external shocks and ensuring inclusive growth, job creation and sustainable wealth.
Motazé was speaking in Ngaoundere on January 13 during a ceremony marking the opening of operations on the state budget for the 2026 fiscal year. The event was attended by officials of MINFI, MINEPAT, Public Contracts Ministry, economic operators, as well as the administrative, religious and traditional authorities of the Adamawa Region.
The Minister said the objectives of 2026 remain the consolidation of the situation of public finances while efficaciously guaranteeing priority objectives set by the President of the Republic for the new seven-year mandate. It equally harps on the optimal mobilisation of internal non-petroleum resources while respecting economic support activity, ensuring that it doesn’t create prejudicial distortions to competitiveness of enterprises. He cited some of the priority areas to include ensuring continuous security at the borders and in the agglomerations especially within the post-electoral context.
In the economic domain, he talked of accelerating the agro pastoral and fishery integrated import-substitution plan; strengthening power supply and the capacity to transport and distribute electric energy; establishing financial equilibrium of the electricity sector after purchasing ENEO from ACTIS; development of transport infrastructure and dis enclaving production basins including rehabilitation of urban roads; continuing the reconstruction of the Northwest, Southwest and Far North Regions; and the fight against climate change.
Socially, the Minister said there will be the intensification of technical and professional training; sanitary alert to combat epidemics and pandemics that may emerge; improve technical platforms of hospitals; increase in provision of local school infrastructure; preserving the purchasing power of vulnerable households; promote approaches to intensify the use of manpower in favour of women and youths and to continue the putting in place of commitments contained the National Gender Policy.
In matters of governance, Motazé talked of accelerating the decentralisation process through the implementation of the local fiscal measures; continues payment of internal debt owed by the state as well as the reform of the management of public finances.
“This finance law shows the will of government to consolidate economic recovery observed in the last years; strengthen productive public investment; preserve macroeconomic and budgetary equilibrium while sustaining the efforts to support the purchasing power of households and the protection of socially vulnerable groups,” he told the audience.
The Minister reiterated that particular attention will be paid to the promotion of youths and women with the creation of a special fund for the support of economic autonomization of women and promotion of youth employment in conformity to the high orientations of the Head of State.
He equally disclosed that the 2026 finance law marks a decisive stage in the consolidation of effective transfer of fiscal revenue to local councils. A reform he said is aimed at substantially increasing fiscal revenue and sustainably strengthening the financial autonomy of councils and giving them the means to fully exercise the devolved competences.
Motazé also highlighted the customs exoneration contained in the finance law which, according to him, are measures that go to encourage investments, promote youth employment and improve purchasing power of households. He said measures have been taken in the budget to reduce expenses at investment and exploitation phases in the domains of agriculture, livestock and fishery of close to 30 percent.
Such exonerations include taxes on salaries paid to seasonal agriculture workers, VAT on purchase of pesticides, fertilisers and inputs as well as on agricultural, livestock and fishery equipment. Land being allocated for agriculture, livestock and aquaculture; registration of conventions on financing for agriculture; equipment for provision of renewable energy; and so on, are also exonerated from customs duties and taxes.
The 2026 state budget stands at FCFA 8,816.4 billion compared to that of 2025 which was FCFA 7,735.9 billion representing an increase of FCFA 1,080.5 billion corresponding to a relative progression of 14.0 percent. The Minister disclosed that the Adamawa Region’s share in this year’s budget is FCFA 41.2 billion as he outlined a plethora of investment projects earmarked for the region in the 2026 state budget.
The ceremony also served as an occasion for the City Mayor of Ngaoundere, Bobbo Salihou, to present the expectations of the population of the town as well as that of the Adamawa Region in terms of development.
Experts presented a series of papers with Augusta Tabenyang Njock of the Department of the Budget in MINFI talking on the innovations of the circular on instructions relating to the execution of the 2026 budget; Fayçal Abdoulaye of the Directorate General Taxation on fiscal innovations; and Yves Patrick Tchami of the Directorate General of Customs on customs innovations.
Jean Claude Takam of MINEPAT spoke on the Public Investment Budget and Theophile Tsala Eloundou of the Public Contracts Ministry talked on matters of contractualisation. The presentations as well as the question-and-answer session, that ensued was moderated by the MINFI Boss, Louis Paul Motazé.