By Nformi Sonde Kinsai
The Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motazé, has issued a forceful condemnation of the violent attacks targeted at customs personnel and infrastructure, which occurred during the unrest following the October 2025 presidential election. He emphasized that the service is a cornerstone for Cameroon’s development and emergence as a nation.
Minister Motazé made these remarks on January 19, 2026, in Bafoussam, West Region, during the ceremony to launch activities for World Customs Day 2026. This year’s observance is held under the theme: “Customs Protecting Society through Vigilance and Commitment.”
The event was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Finance (MINFI) and the Directorate General of Customs, alongside a cross-section of regional administrative, religious, traditional, and business leaders, led by Governor Augustine Fonka Awa.
Addressing the theme directly, Motazé outlined the multifaceted protective role of customs. He stated it is not merely fiscal administration collecting revenue for the public treasury, but fundamentally a protective body safeguarding citizens’ security and wellbeing.
This protection, he elaborated, extends to public health by intercepting counterfeit pharmaceuticals, unsafe food items, dangerous cosmetics, and toxic substances at borders and within the national territory. Furthermore, customs protects the environment by combating the trafficking of toxic waste, ozone-depleting substances, and illegal trade in protected fauna and flora.
Economically, the service shields the nation from unfair practices like smuggling and counterfeiting, thereby defending legitimate national producers. Crucially, customs also bolsters national security. Through surveillance of sensitive goods, collaboration with other security forces, and fighting the trafficking of arms and ammunition, money laundering, and terrorist financing, customs contributes directly to preserving the peace and stability essential for development.
“This mission of protection warrants the permanent vigilance of our customs officers at borders, on route networks, and at sea and airports,” Motazé stated. “It equally calls for total commitment to serve with probity, resist corruption, and accomplish their duties despite difficulties, risks, and at times public misunderstanding.”
It is against this backdrop of critical responsibilities, the Minister explained, that the recent attacks are so damaging and condemnable. He expressed profound sadness over the vandalism of buildings and violent assaults on personnel witnessed in some regions post-election.
Motazé reminded the public that Cameroon is on a firm path towards emergence, underscored by a parliamentary vote last December on a state budget exceeding FCFA 8,000 billion. “We need resources to finance this budget, accelerate our emergence, and change the nation’s landscape as envisioned by President Paul Biya,” he asserted.
He highlighted a stark financial reality: the Cameroonian customs service is projected to contribute over FCFA 1,200 billion to the 2026 budget. “This is an amount that will be difficult to recover if acts of violence continue,” Motazé warned. “There exists a surprising contradiction between the population’s legitimate needs for improved living conditions and attacks on the very structures tasked with collecting the resources to realize that dream.”
The ceremony also served as an occasion for the Minister to commend diligent customs personnel and the essential collaboration with other defense, security forces, and public administrations, without which their mission could not be accomplished.