Budget 2027: Motaze launches deliberations on useful public spending

Cameroon's Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motaze, has initiated the official preparation process for the 2027 national budget, signaling a move away from scattered spending towards impactful investments.

The preparatory seminar, launched on July 28, 2026, in Yaoundé, brings together key stakeholders to calibrate the year's expenditures. The budget's theme emphasizes strengthening public services, stimulating growth through public investment, and improving living conditions for the population. This approach signals a departure from purely accounting-driven logic to one focused on tangible results.

Three core priorities will guide the budget's allocation. Firstly, enhancing public services involves accelerating payment timelines, digitizing procedures, and bringing services closer to citizens, with ministries being evaluated on performance. Secondly, economic growth will be spurred by prioritizing large-scale projects in infrastructure, energy, water, health, and education, with a new emphasis on optimization and ensuring projects do not stall. Finally, protecting purchasing power is crucial, especially amid price volatility, through targeted subsidies, support for local production, and social safety nets.

Minister Motaze stressed that the 2027 budget will not be a mere continuation of previous years but one of deliberate choices. Each ministry must justify its spending's utility, and every project must demonstrate its impact. The initial two-day discussions aim to establish macroeconomic frameworks, followed by detailed ministerial budget conferences. The overarching message is clear: public funds in 2027 must demonstrably contribute to economic growth and concretely improve the lives of Cameroonians.