Factors of production 12 2007

Industrial lands

The Industrial Areas Development and Management Authority (MAGZI) is responsible for developing and managing industrial zones in the whole country. It equips the zones with all required infrastructure.
MAGZI rents out plots at the following rates:

DOUALA

Fully developed plots
Bonabéri: 680 F/m2/year
Bassa : 480 F/m2/year
Partly developed plots
Bonabéri : 484,50 F/m2/year

LIMBE

Ombe (Industrial Free Zones): 700 F/m2/year
The other industrial zones in Yaounde, Bafoussam, Garoua and Ngaoundere are partly developed areas that are rented out at a flat rate of 200 F/m2/year.

Energies

Hydrocarbons
Retail prices at the service station Premium grade Petrol : 524 F
Diesel fuel : 465F
kerosene : 295 F

Eau potableIndividuals:
Group I: 10 m3 per month 271 F/M3
Group II: 10 m3 per month 337 F/M3

Electricity

LOW VOLTAGE CUSTOMERS

Rates payable by low voltage consumers are in two groups, one referred to as “household” and the other as “professional”.

Household use

or consumption levels below or equal to 50 KWh per month, the service is billed at 50 F/kWh.
For consumption levels between 50 KWh and 200 KWh per month, the rate is 60 F/KWh during the period from 1 July to 31 December and 75 F/KWh from 1 January to 30 June.
For consumptions above 200 KWh in one month, the rate is 65 F/KWh from I July to 31 December, and 75 F/KWh from 1 January to 30 June.

Professional use

This rate comprises a fixed charge of 2,000 F/KWh per KVA plus a proportional price per KWh of electricity consumed. It depends on the monthly energy consumption per unit of power subscribed to (in terms of KWh/KVA) and is applied as follows:

For consumption levels below or equal to 180 KWh/KVA per month, the rate is 63 F/KWh during the period from 1 July to 31 December and 68 F/KWh from 1 January to 30 June.
For consumption levels over 180 KWh/KVA per month, the rate is 55 F/KWh during the period from 1 July to 31 December and 60 F/KWh from 1 January to 30 June.


Metre and circuit-breaker rental and maintenance charges

Street lighting

The rate applicable from 6.30 p.m. to 6 a.m. is:
During the period from 1 July to 31 December: 40 F/kWh
During the period from 1 January to 31 June

MEDIUM VOLTAGE CUSTOMERS

General schedule

This rate comprises a fixed charge of 2,500 F/KWh per KVA of power subscribed to in respect of consumption lasting up to 200 hours and 4,200 F/KWh for consumption lasting over 200 hours, plus a proportional price per KWh of electric power consumed. It depends on the number of hours of use per month and is applied as follows:

Industrial free zones and industrial free points schedule
The rate depends on the number of hours of use per month of the subscribed voltage, and is applied as follows:

Enterprises established in free zones or granted the industrial free point schedule are exempted from paying the advance deposit.
An additional 10% shall be deducted as guarantee of compliance with the requirement to export at least 80% of the company’s production for enterprises in the relevant industrial free zone or free point. That deduction shall be paid back at the end of each financial year as credits after justifying that the company has complied with the requirement to export 80% of AES-Sonel production.

HIGH VOLTAGE CUSTOMERS

The rates for high voltage electricity subscribers are fixed in contracts between AES-Sonel and the said subscribers, after seeking the opinion of the Electricity Regulatory Board and in conformity with the specifications of AES-Sonel’s concession and license framework contract.

Telecommunications

Fixed telephones
Charges for installing a fixed telephone line vary from 40,000 to 100,000 CFA F, depending on the type of subscription.

Local calls:
20 FCFA for 3 minutes

Internet connection calls:
40 FCFA for 3 minutes

Trunk calls:
160 CFAF and above, depending on the distance

Mobile telephones

Connection charge: 10,000 CFAF inclusive of tax
Monthly subscription: 5,000 FCFA TTC

Postage

Registered mail (maximum weight)

Valuables

Rates for posting letters are proportionate to their weights; letters are registered at 360F. for all regimes; insurance tax is 0.5% of the stated value thereof; literature for the blind: exempted from postage rate.

Mail boxes

Service Télex (taxe par minute)

International telephone rates

Land transport

Given that land transportation has been liberalised, each transport company fixes its own rates.

Rail Transport

The Cameroon Railway Company (CAMRAIL) provides transportation by rail. Minimum charges for transporting wagon loads of goods are as follows:

Air transport

Air freight in CFAF/kg from Douala

Maritime transport

The rates applied by Cameroon National Ports Authority (ONPC) are laid down by Order No. 232/MINDIC/DPPC/SDP of 21 February 1994 and comprise the rates for vessels, the rates for goods and specific rates. Rates for goods are subdivided into rates at shipment and rates on landing.

Wages and social welfare contributions

Benefits granted to wage earners include : annual leave, housing allowance, transport allowance and special leave of absence which is non-deductible from the annual leave.

Social welfare contributionss

Family allowances

The contribution rate is 7% of the salary for workers and household staff, and 5.65% for farm workers.

Retirement pension, disablement pension and death benefit

Rate of contribution by the employer : 4.2%
Occupational hazard: 1.75 to 5%

Any overtime work performed shall entail an increase in the hourly wages based on the percentages stipulated in the Labour Code.

Abundant and skilled manpower

Cameroon’s strength lies in the vitality of its population, which is estimated at 16 (sixteen) million inhabitants. Its human potential is its main factor of development. The country’s future is in the hands of its citizens.

The love of work and risk taking have made produced a powerful “informal sector” in Cameroon, which initially was a cause for concern to State authorities due to the fear of not being able to control such activities.

Cameroon has abundant skilled manpower, with about 70% operating in the agricultural sector. School attendance rate is estimated at 90% and is the highest in the sub-region. Many educational opportunities (for vocational training and general education) exist in Cameroon. There are six State universities in the country which train thousands of young Cameroonians in such diverse fields as agronomy, engineering sciences, law, medicine, ICT, etc. There are also private education institutions, which cover the range from primary, through secondary, to university levels.

The active population is about 40% of the total population; with about 66% thereof being farmers, stock breeders, hunters and fishermen; 15% being manual labourers and non-agricultural labourers; and 20% performing the rest of the jobs.