Cameroon Goes Digital with Online Fiscal Stamps to Combat Corruption

In a bid to curb corruption and enhance efficiency in the revenue collection sector, the government of Cameroon has announced the online sale of fiscal stamps, a move that will digitalize the taxation process. The initiative was revealed by Finance Minister Louis Paul Motaze in a statement issued on November 1, 2024.

The new system will officially take effect on Friday, November 15, 2024, marking a significant shift towards digital taxation and the dematerialization of tax stamps. As part of this reform, administrative procedures will be streamlined, enabling Cameroonians to purchase fiscal stamps online through the Directorate General of Taxes (DGI) platform.

Minister Motaze outlined that the digital system will cover various documents, including:

• Driving licenses
• Vehicle registration documents and duplicates
• Firearms licenses
• Hunting permits and other licenses for kinetic activities
• Scientific research permits
• Transport contracts
• Judicial morcellation
• Withdrawal from joint ownership
• Direct registrations and their duplicates

According to the statement, the receipt of payment for these taxes will replace the traditional physical stamp. This receipt will be authenticated via the DGI’s system, ensuring that all fiscal documents are verifiable and legitimate.

While the initial list of documents provided by the Finance Minister is specific, the Directorate General of Taxes confirmed that the dematerialization process will apply to all types of tax stamps, including those used on photocopies of documents. The central aim of this reform is to eliminate cash transactions and the use of stamping machines, which have been prone to fraud.

The need for such a reform stems from investigations by the Ministry of Finance, which uncovered widespread corruption, particularly during periods of high demand for fiscal stamps. Although franking machines were introduced to reduce fraudulent activities, they have not completely solved the issue of misappropriation.

By introducing this digital system, the government hopes to improve transparency and enhance the efficiency of tax revenue collection. The reforms are expected to help combat fraud, which has had a significant impact on public finances. In fact, the Governor of the Littoral Region, Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua, had previously reported discovering a vast counterfeiting network of fiscal stamps, which he said posed a serious threat to public finances.

This shift to digital tax services is part of a broader effort by the government to modernize tax administration and increase revenue collection. The Directorate General of Taxes has reported that between 2010 and 2022, tax revenues collected on behalf of the central government grew by 140%, from 992 billion FCFA to 2,384 billion FCFA, marking an increase of 1,392 billion FCFA.

With the introduction of online fiscal stamps, the government is aiming to build on this progress, strengthen public finance management, and provide a more transparent and efficient system for all tax-related processes in Cameroon.