Word from the U.S. Embassy
Dear AmCham Patron and Sponsor Members,
As the Honorary President of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Cameroon, I congratulate the AmCham President, Board of Directors, and the membership on your accomplishments in 2021-2023. In addition to meeting with the Board of Directors in Douala in April 2022 shortly after I arrived in Cameroon, I had the honor of joining you for the AmCham Gala in Yaoundé in January 2023 among many other U.S. Embassy and AmCham collaborations over the past two years.
Despite the COVID-19 driven limitations on travel and public gatherings, AmCham sustained key activities in 2021-2022, including the July 2021 Annual General Meeting and board elections; the May 2022 Advantages of Digitalization/Borderless Business seminar; the July 2022 Minister of Economy participation in the U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Morocco; and the August 2022 presentation of taxation policy changes in the annual finance law. Emerging from the pandemic’s shadow, AmCham resumed a full activity schedule in 2023 and several events merit mention as examples of business development, advocacy, and member-focused service.
Laure E. Djoukam (AmCham President), H. E. Paul Tasong Njukang (Minister Delegate of Economy), H. E. Christopher Lamora (U.S. Ambassador) and Idrissa A. Kamara (AmCham Vice-President 2021-2023) walk in to officially open the 2023 AmCham Gala
In March, AmCham collaborated with the Embassy Branch Office (EBO) in Douala and American School of Douala (ASD) to deliver a franchise information seminar to over 150 potential franchise investors; later in March AmCham celebrated women’s business leadership achievements with the Women’s Empowerment Network (WEN); in June, several AmCham members traveled to New York for the International Franchise Expo (IFE) as part of a U.S. Embassy Commercial Team-led Cameroon delegation; in July, AmCham represented the American business community of Cameroon at the U.S. - Africa Business Summit in Gaborone, Botswana; in August, the AmCham Tax Committee secured meetings with the Directors General of Taxation and Customs and lobbied for AmCham member-generated policy recommendations in the 2024 finance law; and in November, AmCham convened intellectual property rights and trade promotion stakeholders to inform the community of interest about the legal and regulatory framework for trademark protection in Cameroon.
This condensed, admittedly incomplete review of 2021-2023 activities is nonetheless testament to AmCham’s robust engagement on behalf of its members over the past two years. Building on these successes, AmCham will soon elect the 2023-2025 cadre of Board members and Executive Committee leadership. I encourage every AmCham member to play an active role in electing AmCham leadership and to participate in AmCham initiatives throughout the year. The U.S. Embassy team values the long-standing partnership with AmCham and AmCham’s demonstrated business advocacy to increase U.S. -Cameroon trade and investment, to create a stronger business environment in Cameroon, and to model the AmCham core values of accountability, fairness, integrity, and transparency. With your participation, AmCham is indeed “Looking Up” in 2024.
Thank you and good luck in the New Year,
H. E. Christopher J. Lamora,
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon
Honorary President, AmCham Cameroon
