By Ministerial Order No. 00000016/MINFI of August 13, 2026, classifying public institutions in Cameroon, the Minister of Finance has confirmed the reclassification of the Telecommunications Regulatory Board (TRB) from the 3rd to the 2nd category of public institutions.

https://www.art.cm/sites/default/files/documents/2026%20CLASSIFICATION%2...

This decision, endorsed by the Prime Minister’s Office and enacted pursuant to Decree No. 2019/322 of June 19, 2019, officially acknowledges the performance achieved by the Board’s Top Management during the 2022, 2023, and 2024 fiscal years.

TRB now joins a select circle of public institutions alongside the Hydrocarbons Price Stabilization Fund (CSPH) and the Road Fund (FR), ranking just behind the National Social Insurance Fund (CNPS) and the Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance (FEICOM), the only institutions classified in the first category. This positioning places the Board ahead of several reference structures still listed in the 3rd and 4th categories.

This classification, based on the average budget executed over the last three closed fiscal years, reflects the solid financial and institutional trajectory driven at TRB under the leadership of Professor Philémon Zoo Zame. Since the reorganization enacted by Decree No. 2020/727 of December 3, 2020, the Board has consolidated its status as a special public institution, strengthened its financial autonomy, and affirmed its role as a benchmark regulator within the CEMAC region.

Beyond symbolic recognition, this reclassification carries direct implications for the remuneration system, allowances, and benefits granted to the Board’s administrators and executives, in line with the provisions of Decree No. 2019/322 of June 19, 2019. It also enhances TRB’s capacity to mobilize resources commensurate with its missions, at a time when the digital economy is playing an increasingly central role in the National Development Strategy 2020–2030.

Institutionally, this leap in category reinforces TRB’s weight within Cameroon’s public sector landscape and confirms the relevance of the modern regulatory model promoted by its Top Management, built on transparency, innovation, and performance-driven, data based governance. It also underscores the renewed confidence of public authorities in an institution destined to play a central role in Cameroon’s digital transformation.

In accordance with Article 4 of the Order, this classification takes effect on January 1, 2026, and will be updated within three years, as required by current regulations.

ESMA