Biya regime orders telecom operators to block undeclared phones ⁰

Cameroon’s customs authorities have ordered telecom operators MTN Cameroon, Orange Cameroon, and Camtel to block mobile phones and digital devices that were not cleared through customs.

In a letter dated May 18, Customs Director General Fongod Edwin Nuvaga instructed the operators to begin blocking the devices starting May 25, 2026.

The measure applies only to undeclared phones and digital terminals connected to local mobile networks for the first time since April 1, 2026, when the country’s new customs collection system for digital devices took effect. In the letter, the customs administration warned that operators could be held responsible if undeclared devices continue to access local networks.

The instruction comes one month after Finance Minister Louis Paul Motazé warned importers suspected of bypassing the new customs system. In a statement issued April 27, the minister said about 700,000 phones connected to local networks for the first time between April 1 and April 25 without customs clearance.

According to a source within the customs administration, the real number could be even higher.Authorities initially avoided systematic blocking and instead gave importers and users time to regularize their situation without penalties before April 30. Under the new rules, devices introduced illegally after that deadline are now subject to blocking.

The government says the reform is meant to restore control over a segment heavily affected by smuggling and undeclared imports. Authorities also want to increase customs revenue from mobile phones and digital devices, an area where tax collection has collapsed despite rising device imports.

Official figures show customs revenue from phones and digital equipment fell from about CFA2 billion per month in the 2000s to around CFA100 million today, even as the number of devices entering the Cameroonian market continued to increase.

Through the reform, customs authorities now aim to raise at least CFA25 billion in annual revenue from the sector.

Source: Business in Cameroon