1. Who is authorized to issue a building permit in Cameroon?
In Cameroon, Law No. 2004/003 of April 21, 2004, governing urban planning, classifies the building permit among the “administrative acts relating to land use and construction.” According to the regulations, it is the permit that authorizes a construction after verifying its compliance with the rules of the trade. The Urban Planning Law states that the permit is issued by the Mayor of the territorially competent Municipality. However, in large cities where there is an Urban Community, the administrative act is issued solely by the Government Delegate to the Urban Community.
In the event of eviction, only victims with this document can be compensated, hence the necessity of this document that guarantees your interests.
2. Categories of building permits in Cameroon:
1) COMMUNAL BUILDING PERMIT:
A communal plot belongs either to the Urban Community or to the Municipality. By a decree, the Mayor or the Government Delegate can allocate the plot to a person who only becomes the owner after constructing on it. To enable this development, the Mayor or the Delegate issues a building permit. Later, the landowner can establish a Land Title on the property.
2) MAETUR LOT BUILDING PERMIT:
The Mission for the Development and Equipment of Urban and Rural Land (Maetur) is a public enterprise. It can allocate a plot to any person who must necessarily develop it through construction, as in the case of a communal plot. The person will then obtain a building permit and subsequently a land title.
3) TITLED LOT BUILDING PERMIT:
A titled lot is one for which the owner has a Land Title, a document obtained from the Ministry of Lands and Land Affairs (Mindaf). However, having a Land Title does not exempt the owner from obtaining a building permit before commencing any construction on the titled plot.
4) IMPLANTATION PERMIT:
An implantation permit, which serves as a building permit, is required for a land for which the owner does not yet have a Land Title but possesses a Certificate of Sale. It is important to personally follow your own file in any transaction to avoid being defrauded.
