Sectoral growth and poverty reduction in Cameroon:

The objective of this study is to identify the sectors of activity that best influence poverty reduction in Cameroon. Using the multiplier decomposition of the social accounting matrix developed by Thorbecke and Jung (1996) we came to the following conclusions: Growth in Cameroon has a more significant effect on the income of the non-poor than on that of the poor. The sector ranking places the tertiary sector at the top of the sectors'' contributions to improving the incomes of the poor followed by the secondary sector. According to our results the industries in which the government should invest and encourage private investment are as follows: for the primary sector these are forestry and logging fishing and industrial agriculture. For the secondary sector: hydrocarbon extraction energy manufacturing food processing. For the tertiary sector: all the branches are bearers of a significant poverty reduction. Investment in the agricultural sector has not yet reached its efficiency threshold.