The Ministry of SMEs, Social Economy and Handicrafts has just specified the conditions for admission to the status of UES, a mechanism intended to better supervise organizations engaged in activities with high social utility.
The Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts signed, on March 16, 2026, circular No. 26/00049/MINPMEESA/SG/DAJ, an awaited text that clarifies the procedures for admission to the status of Social Economy Unit (UES) in Cameroon.
This document follows on from the framework law of April 25, 2019, governing the social economy in the country, as well as the Prime Minister’s decree of May 23, 2022, relating to the registration and maintenance of the General Register of Social Economy Units. Its objective is to set more precise rules allowing organizations and companies in this sector to obtain official recognition from the State.
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According to the circular, UES status can be granted to any social economy organization or enterprise, regardless of its legal form, provided it respects a set of fundamental principles. These include, in particular, the primacy of people and social purpose over capital, freedom of membership, transparent and participatory governance, as well as the pursuit of collective interest. The structures concerned must also demonstrate the social utility of their activities and ensure an equitable distribution of surpluses.
Organizations admitted to this status will be registered in the General Register of Social Economy Units, housed at the ministry in charge of the social economy. Admission is materialized by an approval issued by the minister.
To obtain this approval, candidates must compile a file including, in particular, a stamped application addressed to the minister, the organization’s statutes, proof of legal existence, a bank domiciliation certificate, as well as a criminal record extract of the main leader. The file must be submitted to the central or decentralized services of the ministry, which carry out a compliance check before transmission to an ad hoc committee responsible for examining the applications.
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After the opinion of this committee, the minister has a period of three months to decide. After this period, admission is considered granted if no decision has been notified.
The approval, issued in French and English, is valid for a period of three years and can be renewed. However, it remains personal, non-transferable, and non-assignable. The circular also provides for the conditions that can lead to its withdrawal, particularly in the event of non-compliance with the principles of the social economy, ethical breaches, or activities contrary to the national program of the sector.
Finally, the ministry provides for a monitoring mechanism for approved structures, with regular evaluations and the production of an annual report addressed to the Prime Minister.
Through this circular, the authorities intend to better supervise the social economy sector and strengthen the structuring of actors who contribute to economic development and solidarity in Cameroon.
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