Cameroon’s Ministry of Finance, Louis-Paul Motazé, has uncovered significant levels of fraud, corruption and mismanagement within public services. These have led to financial losses estimated at 59 billion CFA. A recent cleanup operation targeting public finances revealed shocking irregularities, underscoring systemic corruption in the country’s administrative processes.
One of the most glaring issues involves 13,000 fraudulent birth certificates found in pension files, resulting in losses of 19 billion CFA. This discovery highlights how deeply rooted fraudulent practices have become in administrative document management.
Another disturbing revelation concerns the rental of dilapidated or nonexistent buildings by individuals posing as government officials. These fraudulent leases drained an additional 4 billion CFA from state coffers, with payments made for properties that either do not exist or are in uninhabitable condition.
The most appalling discovery is the widespread presence of ghost workers in the public sector. Investigators identified 14,000 fictitious employees, including 10,632 individuals who receive salaries without actually working. This alone accounted for a loss of 32 billion CFA. Furthermore, 2,141 individuals with no official connection to the administration were found receiving taxpayer-funded salaries, contributing to another 4 billion CFA in losses.
As the cleanup operation continues, authorities expect to uncover even more cases of fraud. These findings highlight the urgent need for structural reforms to address systemic corruption, safeguard public funds, and restore trust in Cameroon’s administrative processes.
