During his keynote address at the June 23, 2026 Gecam annual general meeting in Douala, Célestin Tawamba highlighted the systemic barriers stifling investment in Cameroon.

As the head of Cameroon’s leading private sector association, Tawamba painted a sobering picture of the nation’s economic trajectory. “In today’s hyper-competitive global economy, where nations vie for scarce capital, talent, and technology, governance quality has emerged as the decisive competitive edge,” he emphasized.

The business leader stressed that investors scrutinize three critical pillars: energy infrastructure, cost efficiency, and fiscal policy. “But above all, they evaluate a nation’s capacity to make decisions, implement policies, and honor commitments. Capital flows toward countries that act decisively—not toward those paralyzed by indecision or bureaucratic inertia,” he asserted.

Tawamba argued that Cameroon’s economic future hinges on accelerating execution over endless planning cycles. “The question is no longer ‘what must be done?’, but rather ‘how can we act faster, smarter, and with measurable outcomes?’ The era of diagnostic reports must give way to an era of implementation. Intentions must transmute into tangible results, and promises into deliverables,” he declared.

He painted a stark picture of Cameroon’s current predicament—a nation trapped in a cycle of cautious paralysis where structural decisions languish, approvals drag on indefinitely, and projects crawl forward at a glacial pace. “Administrative caution has replaced enterprise, creating an environment where economic actors struggle to anticipate the future. This erosion of confidence extends beyond investors to demoralize the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem,” he warned.