Cameroon has introduced a forestry incentive policy, with the maximum reduction ratio of forest concession fees reaching up to 35%.

According to the Cameroon Business Daily, in the 2026 fiscal bill, the Cameroonian government has launched a fiscal incentive measure aimed at curbing illegal and disorderly logging activities. According to the budget implementation notice issued by the Minister of Finance, starting from January 1, 2026, the government will reduce the annual forest concession fees (RFA) that logging operators need to pay by 25% to 35%. 

The notice clearly stipulates the applicable standards: "Enterprises holding logging licenses can enjoy a 25% reduction in the annual forest concession fee. If enterprises can provide sustainable management certification, the reduction ratio will increase to 35%." 

Finance Minister Louis Paul Motazé stated that the reduction in forest concession fees aims to "encourage sustainable management of forest resources." 

The reason for introducing this measure is that the authorities are facing the persistent problem of illegal logging and some violations by license holders. 

In 2021, a report by the National Financial Investigation Bureau (ANIF) mentioned that in March 2019, the Minister of Territorial Administration had written a letter demanding disciplinary actions and criminal proceedings against those involved in illegal forestry and wildlife exploitation, and stated that such activities "cost the Cameroonian state nearly 33 billion CFA francs annually". 

However, illegal logging is just one of the many sources of revenue loss in this industry. Environmental non-governmental organizations point out that the impact of false reporting of wood volume on public finances is even more severe. Some operators deliberately underreport their output to conceal part of their income and thereby reduce their tax obligations. 

In 2020, a report released by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and the Center for Environment and Development (CED) estimated that Cameroon lost over 170 billion CFA francs between 2014 and 2017 alone due to underreporting of the volume of timber exported to Vietnam. 

Therefore, the Cameroonian government urgently needs to balance resource protection and industry regulation through adjusting fiscal policies, and guide logging enterprises onto the track of legality, compliance and sustainable development by means of incentives. The differentiated reduction of forest concession fees this time can not only alleviate their operational burdens, but also send out a policy signal that "legal operation will be rewarded".