Tax Exoneration for Businesses in Conflict Zones: A Desperate Move by the Cameroon Government
By Pavlov Vellenvevinyo (Freelance Reporter)
A recent decree signed by Cameroon Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute has announced full tax exoneration for anyone willing to establish a business in the Northwest and Southwest regions. This decree, issued by the colonial administration, acknowledges these regions as conflict-ravaged territories due to the ongoing Ambazonian War of Independence, now approaching its third year of intense fighting.
The bloody conflict has exposed the fragile economic state of the French Cameroon government, which heavily relies on the natural resources of the former British Southern Cameroons since the controversial unification of 1961.
The war began after 86-year-old dictator Paul Biya declared an offensive against the self-determination-conscious Ambazonian people during a speech at Nsimalen Airport. Since then, the large Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), a key economic pillar, has suffered severe setbacks. Its productivity has plummeted, further diminishing La République du Cameroun’s economic standing. CDC Manager Franklin Njie admitted in an interview with the BBC that the corporation urgently requires over FCFA 25 billion in capital to recover from the crippling effects of the ongoing conflict and targeted attacks by determined Ambazonian fighters.
Ambazonian fighters, who demand the immediate restoration of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, have dismissed the tax exoneration initiative as futile. They argue that such policies, coupled with atrocities like the murders of Baby Martha, Mammy Apih of Kwakwa, and Sam Soya, will not deter their unwavering commitment to restoring Southern Cameroons’ statehood.
