Between 2020 and 2025, the State of Cameroon injected nearly 719.38 billion FCFA into the ten most financially supported public enterprises.
Sonara alone absorbed 479 billion FCFA, nearly 67% of the total. The Autonomous Port of Douala follows with 90.8 billion, far ahead of SIC (35 billion) and Camair-Co (27 billion). Figures revealed by the Chamber of Accounts of the Supreme Court reignite the debate on a persistent hemorrhage of public finances.
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While Cameroonians suffer from the high cost of living, tax pressure, and the decline of public services, state-owned enterprises continue to swallow colossal resources. The latest assessment by the Chamber of Accounts highlights a troubling reality: public money is still massively used to keep structures on life support whose performance struggles to justify such sacrifices.
Sonara, with 479 billion FCFA in public funding over five years, alone illustrates the extent of this dependence. Behind it, the Autonomous Port of Douala (90.8 billion), SIC (35 billion), Camair-Co (27 billion), Magzi (21.38 billion), Sonatrel (21.20 billion), CRTV (12.82 billion), Semry (10.90 billion), EDC (10.28 billion), and Camwater (10 billion) complete this ranking.
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Beyond the amounts, one question remains: how long will taxpayers finance companies whose subsidy needs seem endless? In the absence of a true performance culture, these repeated injections look more like permanent patching than a recovery strategy. More than just financial support, it is the governance model of public enterprises that is now on trial.
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