National Advertising Council : Enforcing Stricter Regulations

The Minister of Communication, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, has declared a zero-tolerance policy towards illicit activities within the advertising sector, heralding a new era of responsibility amongst industry players. The announcement was made yesterday, December 4, 2025, in Yaounde, as he officially opened the first ordinary and first extraordinary sessions of the National Advertising Council (NAC) of Cameroon, a body he chairs. In his opening address, Minister Sadi emphasised the ongoing efforts to safeguard advertisers' interests and ensure the regulation of advertisement content.
The Minister disclosed that the ongoing session marks the culmination of the 2025 fiscal year, a period characterised by notable achievements and challenges within the advertising sector. A significant milestone, he noted, was the reform instituting non-tax revenues from the Communication sector, as stipulated in Law No. 2023/019 of December 19, 2023. Whilst acknowledging the profession's gradual adaptation to these changes, the Minister expressed concern that despite extensive deliberations on the tax regime governing advertising activities during the Council's 2022 and 2023 sessions, as well as in government coordination meetings, the issue remains a subject of debate. This has resulted in advertisers facing harassment and receiving invoices for signage advertising fees, a practice that contravenes the country's advertising legislation. Rene Emmanuel Sadi emphasised that it is patently clear that concerted efforts are required to educate stakeholders about the prevailing regulations and laws governing advertising, as well as to ensure that authorities are cognisant of and adhere to these rules. In light of the current situation, he deemed it imperative to adopt a firmer stance against operators who persist in flouting the law. “The government is poised to enforce stringent sanctions against non-compliant actors, signalling a paradigm shift from education to enforcement,” the ...