From digital ambition to digital exclusion: Cameroon’s contradictory path

Digital inclusion isn’t built on taxes—it’s built on accessibility. Yet Cameroon has taken a starkly different approach with its new 33.33% levy on mobile devices. This isn’t just another fiscal measure; it’s a direct barrier to the very digital future officials claim to champion.

«Where countries have successfully bridged the digital divide, they prioritized connecting citizens first, making technology affordable and fostering an inclusive digital economy. Cameroon’s approach does the opposite: it taxes the tools that make inclusion possible. In a nation where average incomes struggle to meet basic needs, this isn’t just a policy—it’s organized digital exclusion.»

For a government that touts digital transformation, technological innovation, and connectivity as national priorities, the contradiction is glaring. On one hand, lofty speeches promise a connected future. On the other, citizens face a 33.33% tax on mobile devices—ranging from 1,670 FCFA for basic phones to 135,000 FCFA for premium smartphones—simply for the right to use technology within national borders.

A state taxing what it claims to promote

Smartphones are no longer luxuries in Cameroon; they are essential tools for daily life:

• The student accessing online courses
• The trader processing Mobile Money transactions
• The farmer checking market prices
• The artisan connecting with clients via WhatsApp
• The informal worker accessing public services

For most Cameroonians, these devices aren’t optional—they’re lifelines. Taxing them isn’t just counterproductive; it’s pricing citizens out of the digital economy they’re expected to join.

The paradox of taxing imports with no local alternatives

What makes this policy particularly baffling is Cameroon’s industrial landscape—or lack thereof. The country produces no mobile devices, not even assembled units. No local alternatives exist, nor are any in development. Citizens are left with no choice but to import devices, only to face taxation for using what they’ve legally acquired.

When governments tax imports to protect or stimulate local industry, the logic, while debatable, is at least coherent. But taxing imports with no domestic production to support is simply revenue extraction—plain and simple. It punishes consumers without fostering growth.

Where does this end? The slippery slope of digital taxation

The question must be asked: If smartphones are now subject to a 33.33% tax, what’s next? Laptops? Desktop computers? Printers? The absence of clear boundaries raises concerns about where this fiscal trajectory will stop. Each new tax deepens the digital divide, widening the gap between those who can afford connectivity and those who cannot.

A choice between progress and regression

Globally, nations are racing to reduce digital divides through policies that lower costs and expand access. Cameroon, however, is moving in the opposite direction. By making technology more expensive, it’s not just slowing digital progress—it’s risking economic competitiveness. A connected citizen is a productive citizen. A digitally literate population is the backbone of a modern economy. Taxing the tools that enable this literacy undermines every stated ambition.

Cameroon’s future doesn’t hinge on taxing imports. It hinges on empowering its people. The message from this policy is clear: the state is more interested in short-term revenue than long-term development. And in doing so, it’s choosing exclusion over inclusion.