The Director General of Customs has instructed mobile phone operators to block from May 25, 2026, mobile phones and other devices activated on the network without having paid the duties related to customs clearance.
Monday, May 25 is the date set by the General Directorate of Customs for the deactivation of mobile phones and all other terminals imported and activated on the Cameroonian network without payment of customs clearance fees. The Director General of Customs has therefore instructed the mobile phone operators Camtel, Orange, and MTN to proceed with the effective deactivation of these devices. This is in application of the provisions of the 2023 finance law and the joint decision of the Ministries of Finance and Posts and Telecommunications dated March 25, 2026.
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According to a communication from the Minister of Finance dated April 26, 2026, 700,000 new phones are concerned by this operation. They were connected for the first time to the local network between April 1 and April 25, 2026, without having been cleared through customs. The importation of mobile phones, tablets, and other digital terminals is subject to the payment of customs tax duties.
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After awareness-raising and a moratorium period given to offenders to regularize their situation, the Minister of Finance moves to the repressive phase. Mobile phone operators are responsible for deactivating devices not listed by the hardware identification platform under penalty of having their responsibility engaged.
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