Célestin Tawamba: why investors choose decisive countries over hesitant ones

Speaking at the Gecam ordinary general assembly in Douala on 23 June 2026, Célestin Tawamba addressed the obstacles to investment in Cameroun.

During the Gecam annual general meeting, the group’s president took a broad look at the current troubled state of the economy. “In a world where economies fiercely compete to attract capital, talent and technology, governance quality has become a key factor of competitiveness,” the business leader explained.

He noted that investors evaluate infrastructure. “They look at energy supply and its cost. They look at taxation. But above all, they look at a country’s ability to decide, to execute and to honour its commitments. You invest in a country that decides, not in a country that waits. This is where a major part of Cameroun’s economic future will be decided. And this is where Gecam will continue to contribute with responsibility, independence and patriotism,” he added.

For him, the question is no longer about what needs to be done. “The real question now is: How to do it faster? How to do it better? And above all, how to obtain measurable results? The time for diagnosis must gradually give way to the time for execution… The time for intentions must give way to the time for achievements, and the time for promises must become the time for results,” said the Gecam president.

He further argued that Cameroun is currently experiencing a unique situation marked by a form of inaction that is affecting the entire economic landscape. “Structural decisions are becoming rare. Trade-offs take time. Projects, when they exist, advance more slowly than they should. Administrations often favour caution over initiative, and economic operators operate in an environment where visibility becomes more difficult every day. This situation has consequences on investor confidence and on the morale of business leaders,” he concluded.