By Noela Ebob Bisong
The membership of the Republic of Cameroon has been suspended from the World Trade Organisation, following the country’s failure to comply to the terms of the organization, by not paying its contribution since 2015, amounting to FCFA 180 million.
The Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, has forwarded the issue to the Prime Minister’s office, requesting that strict measures be taken to ensure that Cameroon complies with the requirements of WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement.
Addressing the Prime minister Joseph Dion Ngute, Luc Magloir Mbarga Atangana states “I have the honor to inform you, Mr. Prime Minister, Head of Government, that the arrears of our contributions to the World Trade Organization have now peaked at XAF138 million for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018,” the trade minister wrote, stressing there is another XAF42 million to be paid for the FY2019, making an aggregate amount of XAF180 million.
According to Mbarga Atangana, Cameroon is currently subject to category III administrative sanctions, which consist of the suspension of all technical assistance activities and the denial of any access to training organized by the WTO. “Only the clearance of these arrears would allow our country to regain its rights within the Organization,” he states.
It should be recalled that Cameroon has been a member of WTO since 13 December 1995 and a member of GATT since 3 May 1963. The suspension comes at a time when the country is facing various challenges in key sectors notably security, economy etc.
The World Trade Organization is an intergovernmental organization that is concerned with the regulation of international trade between nations founded, January 1, 1995, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland with 164 countries.