At inauguration of office edifice: MINFI boss lauds Littoral taxation office’s contribution to fiscal revenue.

He made the remark in his speech while commissioning the building hosting the Littoral II taxation services in Bonanjo, Friday February 9. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Motaze said with much expectations laid by the government on the taxation sector, it was but normal for the state to provide all what is needed to ameliorate the working conditions of the staff in Douala.

Formerly, the two-storey edifice, constructed on 2,059 metres square land located at Joss plateau was being rented until it was purchased by the State on February 2, 2023. 

Its inauguration was described by the minister as a reflection of the ambition of the government to transform and restructure tax services and the effective service offered by the staff.

As of 2023, it was revealed, the tax administration mobilized, on behalf of the public treasury, the sum of 2,867 billion FCFA. Of this amount, the three tax centres of the Littoral contributed 170 billion FCFA. 

Specially, the Minister said, the regional taxation office for the Littoral 2, has distinguished itself as a real pillar in this success with a mobilisation of nearly 100 billion FCFA in the 2023 financial year, which is 60% of the revenue collected in Littoral. 

It should be noted that until 2020, the region had just two taxation centres; the Coastal regional taxation centre and the outer coastal regional tax centre, which covered the administrative units of the Littoral. 

However, the inauguration of another in Bonanjo made it three. Its impact in the overall performance of the sector within the last three years is evident in the increase in revenue, moving from below120 billion FCFA to more than 170 billion FCFA-representing a capital gain of 50 billion FCFA in absolute value and 42% in relative value. 

Staff hailed for revenue generation feat

The minister thus congratulated the staff for such a great feat and expressed government's willingness to harvest more of internal revenue. 

"We have focused on reforms aimed at broadening the tax base, securing revenues, fighting fraud and promoting tax morale. This is because we need not to depend on petroleum revenue or external debts, because they are not consistent and you know the production capacity of our petroleum sector is now limited," the minister said.

He went on to say, "the objective is to collect more internal revenue. I mean the fiscal part and this is why we came here today, because we want our collaborators to meet their target and we want to them to pursue what they have been doing so far”. 

“So, it was on us to give them everything they needed like a good building and all what they may need to perform well," he added.

The building will reduce the cost of government’s spending on rent, which stood at 120 million FCFA per year. 

The City Mayor of Douala, Dr Roger Mbassa Ndine, used the occasion to call on government to see into the constitution of state-owned offices magnifying the financial strength of Douala across the region. 

“I congratulate the Ministry of Finance, which is thinking of improving on the working environment of its staff. I hope that it will be the same for other public administrations, so that the city of Douala is made beautiful as well as finances it generates,” the City Mayor said.

In this regard, Minister Motaze said, he had taken note of the recommendations made. He disclosed that a decision has been made already to demolish and rebuild the treasury building into a standard befitting of Douala where money is.