喀麦隆终止对社会住房的增值税豁免

Group 1 - From 2026, housing loans and social housing sales and rentals in Cameroon will no longer be exempt from VAT, applying a reduced rate of 10% instead of the standard rate of 19.25% [1] - The Ministry of Finance's tax authority views this adjustment as a restructuring of the tax system, aiming to correct inefficiencies caused by the previous exemption policy while still being lower than the normal tax rate [1] - The tax reform is expected to generate over 30 billion Central African Francs in additional revenue for the treasury in 2026 [1] Group 2 - Cameroon faces a significant housing shortage, with an estimated gap of 2.5 million social housing units in recent years [1] - A government initiative launched in 2009 aimed to construct 10,000 social housing units, but only about 2,000 units have been delivered in major cities after 16 years, indicating challenges in project implementation [2] - The introduction of a 10% VAT on social housing activities is likely to increase project costs and make social housing less accessible, potentially affecting partnerships between the government and private operators [2]