AmCham Forum Puts Investment Barriers on US-Cameroon Dialogue Agenda

Business leaders in Cameroon have raised foreign-exchange access, financing, infrastructure and regulatory predictability among the constraints they want addressed through a new US-Cameroon economic dialogue aimed at expanding bilateral trade and investment. The issues were discussed on August 26 at the 2026 US Embassy-AmCham Cameroon Business Climate Forum in Yaounde, held one day before the inaugural US-Cameroon Bilateral Economic and Commercial Dialogue.

The forum brought together government representatives and companies from banking and fintech, information and communication technology, agro-industry, extractive industries and healthcare. Discussions were intended to identify sector-specific investment barriers and develop recommendations for the bilateral talks.

The dialogue is the first bilateral US-Cameroon economic and commercial dialogue held in this format. It is organized around three pillars: the business climate, trade and investment. The initiative gives private-sector operators a channel to bring commercial constraints into government-to-government discussions.

Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Yaounde Gaïna Dávila said private companies would be central to translating the framework into investment, market access and commercial transactions. She urged participants to identify the obstacles they face and propose solutions.

“Government-to-government frameworks only work when the private sector is in the room, shaping the agenda and pushing for real outcomes and real deals. Frameworks do not close deals; people do. Regulatory clarity means nothing without companies willing to act on it, while market access means nothing without capital ready to move. That is why gatherings like this forum are critical to the economic dialogue,” Dávila said.

The forum’s sector panels covered digital banking innovation, financial regulation and access to foreign exchange; digital infrastructure, innovation and cybersecurity; and agricultural modernization, trade facilitation and export strategies.

Participants also examined resource management and environmental requirements in the extractive sector, alongside pharmaceutical imports, local manufacturing, healthcare financing and insurance.

AmCham Cameroon President Laure E. Djoukam also pointed to the Bank of Central African States’ recent accession to the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, or PAPSS, which is designed to facilitate cross-border payments in African currencies. The BEAC and PAPSS are working to operationalize the arrangement across the CEMAC region by the end of 2026.

Business seeks actionable reforms

Djoukam said the sectors were selected because they combine investment opportunities with cross-cutting constraints affecting companies. She cited Cameroon’s Central African location, natural resources, young population and access to regional and continental markets among the country’s competitive advantages.

According to Djoukam, investment decisions also depend on predictable rules, transparent procedures, access to finance and foreign exchange, reliable infrastructure and a regulatory and judicial environment that allows businesses to plan for the long term. She said the forum was intended to produce practical recommendations rather than end with a general discussion of business challenges.

“Attracting investment requires more than opportunity. Investors also look for predictability, transparency, efficient administrative processes, access to financing and foreign exchange, reliable infrastructure, and a regulatory and judicial environment in which businesses can plan for the long term. The private sector should not simply identify problems; it must also be part of developing solutions. Our ambition is that the recommendations emerging from today will not end when this forum closes,” Djoukam said.

She asked participants to identify what is working in each sector, what is holding back investment and which concrete measures government and businesses can implement together. The recommendations are expected to inform discussions under the bilateral dialogue and provide a basis for continued engagement between government agencies, the US Embassy and private-sector organisations.

The stated goals are to increase investment, create jobs, expand trade and strengthen commercial links between companies in both countries.

The initiative follows Washington’s broader shift toward commercial engagement in Africa. At an AmCham conference during the PROMOTE 2026 enterprise fair in Yaounde on June 16, US Chargé d’Affaires John G. Robinson said the United States wanted to be a reliable partner for economic growth, with an emphasis on mutually beneficial trade, investment and technology transfer rather than aid. He said a thriving private sector was the engine of economic growth.

Mercy Fosoh