Cameroon: Over 44 Tonnes of Gold Exported Illegally, Causing 577 Billion FCFA in Tax Losses

Cameroon is facing significant financial losses due to the large-scale smuggling of gold. The Ministry of Mines, Industry, and Technological Development has revealed that 44.3 tonnes of gold were illegally exported between 2021 and 2025.

This illicit trade represents a substantial drain on the country's revenue, with estimated tax losses amounting to 577.51 billion FCFA. In contrast, official export data reported by Customs and the national mining company (Sonamine) during the same period show a mere 147 kg declared by Customs and 1.89 tonnes declared for synthetic tax and export duties.

The Ministry of Mines has announced that it will take fiscal and customs recovery measures, both domestically and internationally, to reclaim the lost revenue. To prevent future losses, the ministry is also integrating the General Directorate of Taxes and the General Directorate of Customs into the collection process to support Sonamine's operations at mining sites.

The discrepancy between officially declared exports and the vast quantities of gold smuggled highlights a major challenge in controlling the country's valuable natural resources and ensuring fair taxation.