IX. BUSINESS TRAVEL Although Cameroon has the deepest and the widest private sector in French-speaking sub-saharan Africa, its business community does not yet have an outstanding, readily- recognizable, pattern of behavior. The pace of business is slower than in the U.S: Cameroonians appreciate an opportunity to "get to know" a potential partner before beginning concrete discussions; the handshake is used even in "good morning" situations in the corridor and the offer of a gift to a partner is an appreciated symbol to open or to seal a business relationship. It is advantageous in Cameroon to supplement written communications with as many face-to-face encounters as possbile. Patience and persistence are needed. Visas: Visas and return tickets are required for entry into Cameroon. Visas can be obtained from the Cameroonian Embassy in the U.S. at 2349 Massachusetts Ave. N. W., Washington, D. C. 20008 (202-265-8790) and from the Embassy in France at 17 bis, Rue Longchamps, Paris 750016. Visitors who arrive without a visa may be sent out of the country on the next available flight, especially if they are coming from a country where there is a Cameroonian Embassy. For passengers arriving from countries with no Cameroonian diplomatic representation, airport visas are available. Cameroonian visas may be obtained at the following locations on the African continent: Bangui, Abidjan, Libreville, Lagos, Calabar, Brazzaville, Malabo, Bata, Kinshasa, Cairo, Addis Abeba, Dakar, Rabat, Ndjamena, and Monrovia. In addition to Paris, there are Cameroonian missions in several European cities, including Marseilles, London, Geneva, Bonn, Brussels, Madrid, Rome, Moscow, and the Hague. In East Asia, there are missions in Beijing and Tokyo, and in the Middle East visas can be obtained in Riyad and Djeddah, while in the Americas, Cameroonian missions exist in Ottawa and Brasilia as well as in Washington, D.C. All visitors entering Cameroon are required to present a valid international health certificate including innoculation against yellow fever. The certificate must be presented upon arrival in, and departure from, Cameroon. American businesspeople considering travel to Cameroon are urged to consult the Department of States's latest Consular Information Sheet (CIS) for Cameroon. The CIS, which is updated periodically, may be obtained by calling the State Department's Citizens' Emergency Center at (202) 647-5225 or 647-0900. American citizens in Cameroon are urged to register with the Consular section of the American Embassy in Yaounde. Holidays: The following Cameroonian civic holidays are scheduled on fixed, predictable, calendar days: January 1 (New Year's Day), February 11 (Youth Day), May 1 (Labor Day), and May 20 (National Day). Apart from Christmas Day (December 25), all Cameroon's Christian holidays fall on different dates of the month each year: Good Friday, Ascension Day and Assumption Day. Moslem holidays also fall on unspecified calendar days: the TABASKI is established at the end of the Ramadan, and the Feast of the Ram is established 170 days after Ramadan. The Cameroonian workweek does not include Saturdays. Holidays falling on Saturdays or Sundays are observed on Fridays or Mondays. When a working day intervenes between two recognized civil holidays, the working day is usually, but not always, declared a public holiday. For example, Friday would be declared a non-working day if a recognized public holiday falls on a Thursday. Transportation: Cameroon's southern cities are connected by good road links, especially its main business centers, Yaounde and Douala, which are easily accessible from Bamenda and Bafoussam and from Cameroon's two main seaside resorts of Kribi and Limbe. The three Northern cities of Ngaoundere, Garoua and Maroua are linked to each other by a paved 510- kilometre road but they are cut off from the southern cities by long stretches of unpaved road. Cameroon's railway service links both zones at its northern terminal in Ngaoundere. Travelers from the southern zone can carry along their vehicles by train to Ngaoundere to facilitate travel throughout the Northern region. Car rental is available in Douala, Yaounde, Ngaoundere and Garoua. Visitors to these cities can also hire taxi cabs. Taxi hiring is available as well in the rest of the country's towns and cities. Railway service between Douala and Yaounde has declined in quality. Punctuality and regularity cannot be guaranteed. Air service is available between most major cities, including Douala, Yaounde, Ngaoundere, Garoua and Maroua. The sole carrier providing in-country service is Cameroon Airlines (Camair). Passengers should arrive at the airport early to improve the chances of receiving a boarding pass. Cameroon imposes an airport departure tax of FCFA 5,000 for international flights and FCFA 500 for domestic trips. Modern bus service is avalaible between Yaounde, Douala, Limbe, Bafoussam and Bamenda. Language: The French language is the dominant business language in Cameroon. However, English, Cameroon's other official language, can be used in the main business centers of Douala and Yaounde, if spoken slowly. The staff of major hotels and restaurants are usually bilingual. Communication: Cameroon and the United States have a direct telephone link via satellite. The country code for Cameroon is 237. All telephone numbers have six digits and there are no city or area codes. Cameroon has fax and telex services and it was the first country in sub Saharan Africa to launch a cellular phone service in 1993. However, Cameroon has been unable to publish a phone directory since 1990. Mail: Many streets in Cameroon have no names, and even streets with names do not have house or building numbers. Consequently, most businesses, hotels, restaurants, and government offices have no street addresses. Individuals do not have home addresses either. Mail is generally sent to a "bo te postale" (B. P.) or "post office box" (P. O. Box). Health Considerations: Special precaution should be taken by American visitors to drink only bottled or boiled (and filtered) water. Vaccinations against tetanus, typhoid, polio, meningitis, and hepatitis B are recommended. A gamma globulin injection is also recommended every four to six months to protect against hepatitis A. Cameroon has both chloroquine and fansidar resistant malaria. Americans are urged to take appropriate malaria medication prophylactically and to use insect repellents. Food: There are many restaurants serving a variety of cuisines including French, Chinese, Italian, Lebanese, Vietnamese, Indian and Japanese. Cameroonian dishes are also available. Fast food restaurants are not very developed in Cameroon. One or two of unquestionable quality can be found in Douala. Only bottled mineral water should be consumed in restaurants and hotels. A number of European and American credit cards are accepted in many restaurants and hotels. Housing: Rented villas and houses are available in every town in Cameroon. Rented apartments are more common in Douala and Yaounde. Rates have dropped considerably since 1992. While, real estate brokers (or "agent immobilier") may help in securing housing for American visitors, a good local contact may be more useful. APPENDICES Cameroon's national income, price, balance of payments, trade and fiscal data became increasingly scant and unreliable in the late 1980's as the country's data generation systems deteriorated steadily. With help and pressure from the IFI's, the situation is only beginning to improve, especially in the financial sector. The data used in this report has been supplied mainly by the IFI's. Updates of the Country Commercial Guide will contain additional data as it becomes available.