Yaounde, Cameroon: Cameroon’s regime has once again exposed its obsession with power and control. At a time when citizens across the country are demanding greater decentralization, regional autonomy, federalism, and even independence in the Southern Cameroons, the government in Yaoundé has responded by tightening its grip on local administrations.
In a controversial directive signed last week, councils and municipalities across Cameroon were stripped of one of the few powers they still possessed: the right to collect and manage local taxes. Under the new order, mayors and councils will no longer collect taxes within their municipalities. That authority now belongs exclusively to tax agents from Yaoundé, with all revenues redirected to FEICOM — the Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance.
FEICOM was created in 1974, not to collect taxes, but to support decentralization and finance development projects for councils. Officially, it exists to redistribute resources fairly among municipalities.
The implications of this decision are severe. Councils can no longer prepare realistic budgets based on projected local revenue because the taxes raised in their municipalities will no longer remain there. Once the money disappears into FEICOM, there is no guarantee councils will receive enough funding in return. Local governments are now expected to depend entirely on allocations from Yaoundé.
This destroys financial predictability at the municipal level. A mayor cannot plan roads, schools, drainage systems, markets, sanitation projects, or emergency responses without reliable revenue projections. Municipal governance depends on financial autonomy. Remove that autonomy, and councils become powerless institutions waiting for permission from bureaucrats hundreds of kilometers away.
The consequences for development could be disastrous. Councils will no longer have the freedom to initiate projects based on local priorities. Every infrastructure project may now depend on whether FEICOM agrees to finance it. Communities suffering from bad roads, unsafe drinking water, poor schools, or collapsing health centers may be forced to wait indefinitely for approval from officials in Yaoundé who neither understand nor prioritize local realities.
Financial Sabotage for Opposition-Controlled Councils
Opposition-controlled councils face an even darker reality. In Cameroon’s deeply politicized system, access to state resources has often depended on political loyalty. Councils run by opposition parties now risk financial starvation if FEICOM withholds funding as punishment for political dissent. Entire communities may be denied development simply because they voted for the “wrong” political party. Roads will remain broken, hospitals unfinished, and local economies abandoned because the central government wants to maintain political dominance.
This decision also reveals the direction Cameroon is heading. For years, Cameroonians have demanded meaningful decentralization, especially in the Southern Cameroons, where frustrations over central control have fueled conflict and calls for independence. Yet instead of empowering local communities, the regime in Yaoundé continues to centralize authority and resources.
The message from the ruling elite appears clear: retaining power and controlling money matter more than good governance, development, or the suffering of ordinary citizens. Councils are increasingly treated not as engines of local progress but as mere extensions of central authority.
Action Required to Challenge the Power Grab
Civil society organizations, lawyers, parliamentarians, senators, trade unions, and grassroots activists must challenge this dangerous power grab. Local councils play a critical role in community development. Across Africa, consider neighboring Nigeria, municipalities build roads, schools, hospitals, water systems, and recreational facilities through locally generated revenue. Nigeria allows local governments to raise funds through taxes, grants, and loans to drive development without constantly depending on the federal government.
Instead of strengthening local governance, Cameroon’s regime has chosen control over empowerment. By stripping councils of financial independence, Yaoundé risks crippling local development and deepening national frustration. Cameroonians must recognize this decision for what many believe it truly is: a declaration of war against local autonomy.
