Government-by-Government Assessments: Cameroon
During the review period, budget documents were widely and easily accessible to the public online. Information in budget documents, however, was incomplete. Information on debt obligations was publicly available and updated quarterly, including for state-owned enterprises. Allocations to and earnings from state-owned enterprises were not identified in budget documents, and few state-owned enterprises produced financial statements. The government did not review its budget throughout the year. The government maintained off-budget accounts not subject to adequate audit or oversight, and there were similar concerns regarding the budget for military and intelligence services. The information in the budget was considered generally reliable. The supreme audit institution did not meet international standards of independence and did not audit the government’s executed budget. The government specified in law or regulation and appeared to follow in practice the criteria and procedures for awarding natural resource extraction contracts and licenses. Basic information on natural resource extraction awards was publicly available.
Cameroon’s fiscal transparency would be improved by:
- Including allocations to and earnings from state-owned enterprises in its budget;
- Making audited financial statements for state-owned enterprises publicly available;
- Eliminating off-budget accounts or subjecting them to adequate audit and oversight;
- Subjecting military and intelligence budgets to civilian oversight;
- Ensuring the supreme audit institution meets international standards of independence; and
- Ensuring the supreme audit institution audits the government’s executed budget, makes its reports publicly available and follows up on its findings.