Cameroon telcos not paying taxes

Cameroon’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) held a meeting with various stakeholders in the telecommunications sector.

The crucial meeting spoke to the issue of corruption, and also to make known to members its report on the control mission carried out recently with three mobile operators.

Recommendations to clean up the sector were also made.

According to the report presented by the President of the NACC, Rev. Dr. Dieudonné Massi Gams, “it appears that the various inequalities, embezzlement, mismatched documents to the spirit of the laws and conventions, made their bed in the mobile telephony sector in Cameroon,” reports national radio, CRTV.

Garga Haman Hadji, Member of the NACC added “there is a laxity from them [the mobile operator] or by public services, or both.”

To date, Orange Cameroon, MTN Cameroon and Camtel owe the State some 176 billion CFA francs in unpaid taxes and royalties, the report said.

Faced with all these irregularities, the report of the Committee denounced the silence of the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ART).

As for Cameroon Viettel, newest mobile operators in Cameroon, CONAC criticized them for illegalities operating under a second name Nexttel, without any amendment to the concession agreement that binds it to the State of Cameroon.

All stakeholders have been asked to subsequently make amendments.