During his address at the Gecam Ordinary General Assembly in Douala on June 23, 2026, Célestin Tawamba elaborated on the impediments to investment in a nation like Cameroon.

As the president of Gecam, Célestin Tawamba provided a comprehensive overview of the current challenging state of Cameroon’s economy. He emphasized that in a global arena where economies fiercely compete for capital, skilled professionals, and advanced technologies, the caliber of governance has become a paramount determinant of competitiveness. This is a critical point for any nation seeking to thrive in pan-African current affairs.

Tawamba explained that potential investors meticulously assess various factors, including infrastructure quality, the availability and cost of energy, and the prevailing tax regime. However, he stressed that their primary consideration is a country’s demonstrated capacity to make decisions, implement them effectively, and uphold its commitments. “One invests in a country that acts decisively, not in a country that merely waits,” the business leader asserted. He firmly believes that a significant portion of Cameroon’s economic future hinges on this very capacity for decisive action, a domain where Gecam remains committed to contributing with responsibility, independence, and patriotism.

For Tawamba, the fundamental question is no longer about identifying what needs to be done. Instead, the true challenge lies in determining “How to achieve results more swiftly? How to improve performance? And crucially, how to secure measurable outcomes?” He argued that the era of mere diagnosis must progressively give way to a period of active execution. The time for good intentions must transition into a time of tangible accomplishments, and promises must transform into concrete results for the benefit of Cameroon’s economy.

Furthermore, Tawamba highlighted Cameroon’s unique predicament, characterized by a pervasive sense of indecision and a ‘wait-and-see’ approach that ultimately undermines the entire economic ecosystem. He noted that impactful, structural decisions are infrequent, critical arbitrations are protracted, and existing projects advance at an unacceptably slow pace. Administrative bodies often prioritize caution over proactive initiative, leaving economic operators to navigate an environment where foresight becomes increasingly elusive. This prevailing situation, he concluded, inevitably erodes investor confidence and negatively impacts the morale of business leaders across the nation.