Family allowances increase to FCFA 2800 per child

The National Consultative Labour Commission, during a meeting at its 19th session on Thursday, ruled on increasing the child allowance as announced by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, on December 31, 2015.

He decided that the re-evaluation of the family allowance of F CFA 1 800 be increased to 2800 CFA francs per year for a child.

This is an increase of 55%. The decision will be endorsed by a presidential decree, announced the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Grégoire Owona.

Gilbet Dzana Olonga, the Secretary General of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Cameroon, said on the airwaves of the national radio, CRTV, "the National Labour Advisory Commission has just taken a historic decision after the announcement of the Head of State on December 31, 2015. It has raised the rate of family allowances from 1800 to 2800 CFA francs CFA. The rate is 55% in relative value. The discussions were not easy. The government's position was a position that seemed realistic. And we adopted the rate of FCFA 2800."

In his year-end speech on December 31, 2015, the President of the Republic, Paul Biya announced the increment of family allowances paid to workers in order to improve "the promotion of quality of life in our society, by improving the purchasing power of our people."

Integrated with labour laws by the government since 1962, child benefit is one of the levers available to Cameroon in its social policy. It is paid to people with or dependent children.

The amounts and conditions to benefit differ across countries. In Cameroon, they are designed as a salary supplement for workers and employees with family responsibilities. They are paid through public or private initiatives, with various motivations.