President Paul Biya signed a decree setting the amounts and payment terms for research bonuses for staff at public research institutes. Under this new regulation, the monthly research bonus is set as follows: 140,000 CFA francs for research directors, 130,000 CFA francs for research supervisors, 110,000 CFA francs for research officers, and 90,000 CFA francs for research associates. For the technical proficiency bonus, monthly amounts are set at 50,000 CFA francs for research directors, 40,000 CFA francs for research supervisors and officers, and 30,000 CFA francs for research associates. The decree annuls any previous provisions contrary to this text, including the decree from July 18, 1980, governing the status of researchers in Cameroon.

This regulation follows an August 8, 2023, decree granting a special status to researchers, revising the 1980 framework. The 57-article document clarifies conditions for recruitment, promotion, remuneration, and evaluation of researchers, addressing long-standing demands regarding their working conditions and compensation. Article 34 of the 2023 decree specifies that researcher compensation comprises a base salary, a research bonus, and a technical proficiency bonus, with this recent decree establishing the precise amounts for these bonuses, allowances, and benefits.

The initiative aims to improve working conditions for researchers, who are recognized as critical contributors to knowledge creation and innovation—key to national development. The president’s decree appears to address sector expectations by enhancing the value of scientific research and technological progress. Under the August 2023 decree, a researcher is defined as “an individual engaged in the design or creation of new knowledge, products, methods, or systems based on scientific programming, contributing to solving problems and advancing humanity.“

Source: Sbbc