The first question every new client asks when they are buying online in Cameroon, especially from abroad is, “How do I get my package delivered to me?”
A purchase hardly ever gets to your door, and the process of going to collect packages can be confusing, expensive, and time-consuming for many. Clarity and deregulation around imports will thus boost e-commerce not only for consumers, but SMEs that need goods to sell, components to order, and machines to boost productivity. However, in order to boost e-commerce and enhance the overall experience, Cameroon will have to invest in improving and organizing certain key sectors that are vital to product delivery.
Shipping
Even when Cameroonians buy from abroad and pay shipping fees, most of them still have to go to a port or mail service to collect their parcel, where they might incur extra costs like taxes and dubious postal service fees. For bigger parcels that have to go through their shipping ports, it is even murkier. Decentralizing, equipping, and improving the port cities of Douala and Kribi will reduce cost and waiting time. It will also help to know who exactly is in charge.
Import Duties
While there is certainly a list of fees and tariffs assigned to various imports, corruption at Cameroon’s ports has left import duties at the mercy of whoever is in charge at any particular time. This makes importing into Cameroon even more expensive than it already is. Making these figures open and cracking down on corruption will help cut down the cost of importation.
Taxing Electronic Money Transfers
Cameroon has been working very hard to increase the cost of sending money both within and outside the country. Restrictive regulation around credit card payments and the infamous mobile money tax are bad for innovation in fintech solutions that are trying to bridge the e-commerce payments gap, making restrictions another factor to consider.
Deregulation and Promotion
At this nascent stage of e-commerce growth in Cameroon, the priority should be to ease payments, encourage innovation, and improve delivery. This will stimulate growth and excite a young population that wants to be a part of the global market.
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