Which transfers are subject to foreign exchange controls and which are not?
In accordance with Act No. 63/4 of 19 June 1963 on the application in the
Republic of Cameroon of the foreign exchange regulations of the franc zone, all
natural or legal persons residing in Cameroon are required to declare all foreign
currency in Cameroon within eight days and to transfer it to the banking system. All
resident natural or legal persons are required to declare and repatriate all assets held
abroad.
Similarly, all transfers of funds outside the franc zone are subject to foreign
exchange controls by means of transfer authorizations issued by the Ministry of
Economic Affairs and Finance, which is the monetary authority.
Moreover, under the new CAEMC foreign exchange regulations, all current
transfers are carried out directly by banks, which are required to notify the monetary
authority by submitting a declaration after the completion of the transaction. In that
respect, the Ministry of Finance, by circular letter No. 624/MINFI/DCE of
5 November 1983, instructed bank managers to exercise increased vigilance in the
execution of transfers. Appropriate supporting documents are required for any
transfer. The movement of funds above a certain amount continues to be subject to
prior authorization. All transfers exceeding 100 million CFA francs continue to
require the prior authorization of the monetary authority. Credit institutions are
required to report any suspicious transactions, including those involving unknown
persons, excessively high amounts or funds of dubious origin