Budget reforms: the World Bank pledges to support Congolese government’s efforts

Kinshasa,  July 10^th, 2025 (CPA).- The World Bank has pledged to support the Congolese government in its budget reform efforts during a meeting on Tuesday in Kinshasa between the Director of the Institutions Department for East and Southern Africa and the Minister in charge of Budget, according to a statement seen on Wednesday by CPA. « The Minister of State, Minister in charge of Budget Aime Boji Sangara, has received Ms Omowunmi Ladipo Mimi, Director of the Institutions Department (Governance) of the World Bank for East and Southern Africa, in audience on Tuesday. Through her, the World Bank expressed its commitment to supporting the Congolese government in the implementation of key reforms, » according to the statement from the Ministry in charge of Budget. According to the source, this meeting was part of efforts to strengthen cooperation between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the World Bank, particularly in the areas of institutional and budgetary reforms. These include, as a priority, the reforms underway at the Ministry in charge of Budget in the areas of public procurement, programme budgeting, budget preparation, rationalisation of common water and electricity charges, and the new salary policy currently being developed. The combination of all these reforms has indicated the statement, should improve the quality of public spending and thus enable the state budget to fully fulfil its role as a lever for economic growth and development. The World Bank has also expressed its satisfaction with the government’s commitment to implementing these reforms and reaffirmed its willingness to continue its collaboration with the Democratic Republic of Congo, has reported the source. These discussions come at a strategic moment, as Minister of State Boji Sangara and his team are busy drafting the finance bill for the 2026 fiscal year. The budget conferences, a crucial step in this process, will begin in the coming days.ACP/