Business Corruption

There are no legal barriers to foreign ownership of land. However, companies should note that the costs of registering property in Cameroon are very high, also compared to the regional average (See Frequency level). According to the Bertelsmann Foundation 2010, the process of acquiring property, especially the purchase of land titles, is problematic because of competing concepts of law between modern and traditional law. Property rights are formally defined but suffer from shortcomings in the rule of law and corruption in particular. Due to corruption and a weak and unreliable judiciary, confiscation of private property might occur. Foreign companies have claimed that some judgements made against them were based on fraudulent evidence.

Political Corruption

'Operation Sparrow Hawk', which began in 2006, led to the arrests of former General Manager of the Land Credit of Cameroon, Joseph Edou, and former General Manager of the Cameroon Housing Corporation, Gilles Roger Belinga. Belinga was a senior member of President Biya' Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPMD) and was sentenced to 35 years in jail for fraud and the embezzlement of XAF 3.7 billion in 2007. Edou was sentenced to 40 years in jail in July 2008 along with several others found guilty of embezzling XAF billions.

Frequency

The World Bank & IFC: Doing Business 2011:
- It takes 5 procedures, 93 days and 19.3% of the property value to register and secure rights to property.

World Economic Forum: The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011:
- Business leaders give the protection of property rights in Cameroon, including financial assets, a score of 3.7 on a 7-point scale (1 being 'very weak' and 7 'very strong').

Transparency International: Global Corruption Barometer 2010:
- 25.8% of the respondents who had contact with land services in 2009 report to have paid a bribe.

 The World Bank & IFC: Enterprise Surveys 2009: 

- Slightly more than 26% of companies expected to pay gifts in order to get a construction permit.

Transparency International: Enquête nationale auprés des entreprises sur la corruption au Cameroun - 2007 (in French):
- The property registration bureau ranks as the fifth most corrupt agency.