Electronic Communication : Prime Minister Instructs Compliance By Operators

“Under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, His Excellency Joseph Dion Ngute, a Cabinet Meeting was held on Thursday, 31 July 2025, from 10 a.m. at the Auditorium of the Prime Minister's Office. The meeting was attended by Ministers of State, Ministers, Ministers Delegate, as well as Secretaries of State.
The following items featured on the agenda:
1.    Statement by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications on « actions underway to improve service quality in the mobile telephone sector”;
2.    Statement by the Minister of Public Health on "steps being taken to resume construction works on the Bamenda and Buea regional hospitals;
3.    Report by the Minister of Water and Energy on "measures taken to guarantee adequate supply of kerosene to the domestic market "; 
Speaking after the introductory address by the Head of Government, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications explained that service quality in the mobile telephone sector refers to the level of  performance that a network or operator guarantees its subscribers in terms of coverage, signal continuity, data speed, transmission delay, and reliability. These requirements are aligned with the obligations incumbent upon operators, as set out in their terms of reference, and are monitored by the Telecommunications Regulatory Board in accordance with international standards. Thus, in addition to primarily technical parameters, user perception is also taken into account when assessing performance.
Dwelling on the current state of affairs, the Minister indicated that reports from the Regulator and other experts highlight key issues such as insufficient service continuity, incomplete and uneven coverage of the national territory, as well as recurrent network congestion and fluctuating data speeds caused by the progressive saturation of ageing infrastructure.
Although there are some external factors that may partly explain the mixed results regarding service quality, it appears that the performance of mobile telephone operators is primarily undermined by internal issues related to insufficient investment, which does not match the growth in traffic. Additionally, inadequate maintenance of equipment and the lack of infrastructure sharing among the concerned companies must be noted.
The Minister concluded by presenting the measures taken to reverse the current trend. In the short term, these include the organization of inspection campaigns dedicated to assessing service quality and issuing specific directives to operators. In addition, a structural approach is being implemented to strengthen regulation and transparency. This also involves laying emphasis on the development of appropriate infrastructure and its adequate protection through the reinforcement of legal and technical frameworks.
Taking the floor in turn, the Minister of Public Health stated that the construction of the Bamenda and Buea Regional Hospitals are components of the health pillar of the Three-year Emergency Plan (PLANUT). Under this specific programme, the cities of Yaounde and Douala notably benefited from the rehabilitation of their General Hospitals, while the other regional capitals were to be equipped with second category hospital facilities. Accordingly, the Bafoussam, Ebolowa, Garoua, Bertoua, and Ngaoundere Regional Hospitals have been completed and inaugurated, while that of Maroua is nearing completion.
With regard to the Bamenda and Buea Regional Hospitals, construction works, which had been launched and reached 10% completion, were suspended in 2018 due to the security situation. However, recent consultations involving the various stakeholders have made it possible to identify the necessary measures to be taken at the administrative, financial, and security levels to resume the projects.
More generally, it should be noted that two contracts were signed on 28 October 2024 for the recruitment of a Project Management Assistant. Furthermore, the process of updating the contracts of the company in charge of the works led to the lifting of safeguard clauses by the Minister of Public Contracts.
However, the challenges that have affected these projects over time have resulted in a shortfall of approximately CFAF 30 billion in the initial budget. The Government has undertaken steps to secure the additional funding needed to cover this gap.
Providing an update on the availability of kerosene, the Minister of Water and Energy first clarified the mechanisms governing the marketing of this fuel. It emerged that the imported  Kerosene (DPK) is downgraded a rate of 70% into Jet Al. which is intended for aviation- and at 30 0 0 to be distributed as kerosene for domestic use.
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