Cameroon’s Parliament has approved a state budget of 7,317.7 billion CFA francs (approximately $11.8 billion) for the 2025 fiscal year, marking a slight increase from the previous year.
The budget was adopted during separate plenary sessions of the Senate and National Assembly on Sunday and Monday, state broadcaster CRTV reported.
The new budget reflects an increase of 39.8 billion CFA francs ($64.3 million) compared to the 2024 fiscal year.
It is now awaiting formal promulgation by President Paul Biya, which is expected in the coming days.
According to government sources, the 2025 budget is designed to stimulate economic growth while ensuring the prudent management of public funds.
Authorities project an overall economic growth rate of 4.1% in 2025, an improvement from the 3.8% forecast for 2024.
The increase in growth is expected to be driven primarily by the non-oil sector, which is projected to expand by 4.3%.
However, the oil sector is anticipated to continue its downward trend, reflecting ongoing challenges in that segment of the economy.
Cameroon’s government has emphasized the importance of diversifying the economy and fostering resilience in key non-oil industries as part of its broader strategy to achieve sustainable development.
The approval of the 2025 budget comes at a crucial time for Cameroon, as it seeks to balance economic recovery efforts with the need to address pressing socio-economic challenges.
Observers note that the budget’s focus on rationalizing public spending could help improve fiscal discipline and ensure the efficient allocation of resources to priority sectors.
The implementation of the new budget will be closely watched as Cameroon navigates an increasingly complex economic landscape, marked by global economic uncertainty and domestic demands for growth and social development.
