The stamps are available across the country, contrary to fears that councils are out of stock.

Communal stamps are now effectively sold nationwide at FCFA 500, unlike last year when it cost FCFA 600. Achia Gildas Azemazi, a service user confirmed she procured a communal stamp at the Yaounde XI satellite office at Rond Point Express at the new cost. Achia said she was surprised the stamp was cheaper.

Like Achia, many Cameroonian taxpayers are yet to be in the know as per the new cost of the communal stamp – FCFA 500. However, the 2018 Finance Law sanctioned the drop.

Going by Article C 11(1) of the 2018 Finance Law, “communal stamps to be collected by municipalities is fixed at FCFA 500. It is for documents whose size is not larger than the A4 format.”

In the 2017 Finance Law, the cost of the communal stamp had been fixed at FCFA 600, up from FCFA 200 which had existed for long. Back then, authorities advanced that the increase was to enable local councils get necessary resources to permit them carry out programmes in the face of decentralization. Officials argued that the rise was worthwhile, considering inflation and economic evolution.

Cameroon Tribune gathered the cost of the communal stamp was reduced by FCFA 100 in order to scale down the burden on Cameroonian taxpayers; who have to make other contributions to guarantee the country’s emergence by 2035.  An expert in fiscal matters said fixing the cost of the stamp at FCFA 500 will ease its sale and facilitate the acquisition process as users and revenue collectors will have to exchange just one note or coin. The expert said when the price was at FCFA 600, there used to be the problem of change, especially when users presented FCFA 1,000 or FCFA 2,000 notes.

At the Yaounde City Council, Thursday January 25, 2018, the cashier told Cameroon Tribune the sale of stamps has been going on normally since the year started. He indicated that they have not had any shortage. “When the stamps finish here, I get to my chief for more,” he said.

There had been fears at the beginning of the year that communal stamps were not available in some council areas in the country, especially in Kumba. But officials of the Directorate General of Taxation have dismissed such fears. They said councils that do not have communal stamps are those that don’t go to the treasury for collection.