Kinshasa, June 27th, 2025 (CPA).–The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) promised on Thursday to work with all stakeholders to provide the electricity sector with attractive and incentive-based taxation, at the close of the second edition of ‘Energy Week’ in Kinshasa. ‘In the near future, we will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders to improve taxation in the electricity sector with an attractive and incentive-based tax system,’ said Guylain Nyembo, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Planning and Development Aid Coordination. At the close of this second edition organized by the Electricity Sector Regulatory Authority (ARE), he announced that, in terms of the institutional framework, the Government will also support regulators in the exercise of their daily duties, namely the examination of files, applications for concessions, licenses and authorizations in the electricity sector, the inspection of electrical installations for compliance with norms and standards, the regulations of the various sectors of the electricity industry and the examination of tariffs in the sector. ‘This means that the ARE will be able to mobilize significant resources to play its role as arbiter in a liberalized sector, where guaranteeing and preserving fair competition remain fundamental requirements,’ said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Resolution of concerns raised by participants during the meeting
‘Thanks to these three days of meetings, most of the concerns you have expressed have been heard and will be resolved at our level for those that fall within our remit. For those that concern other entities, I undertake to make the necessary representations to ensure that they are addressed,’ reassured Sandrine Mubenga, Director General of the ARE. At the same time, she added, the ARE has taken note of the complaint regarding taxation, which is described as suffocating and punitive by almost all operators. ‘This concern is legitimate, because it is inconceivable to make the sector attractive if the taxation applied remains common law and non-incentive-based. The same applies to the difficulties you mentioned regarding access to tax and customs relief. This demonstrates your interest in cleaning up the electricity sector,’ said the CEO.
Sandrine Mubenga pointed out that the ARE has already initiated, together with the Federation of Enterprises of Congo (FEC) and certain mining operators, a permanent framework for consultation, the first meetings of which took place in Kolwezi, in the province of Lualaba. The next meeting is also scheduled to take place shortly in the same city to provide this framework with a set of rules for its operation. She invited participants to take part. ‘The second action that the ARE will undertake to disseminate the law on the electricity sector consists of training courses on regulation. The third action will be the deployment of project managers in the provinces to facilitate project monitoring,’ explained Sandrine Mubenga, before paying tribute to the Head of State for his support and expressing her gratitude to all the partners involved in the success of these meetings. The representative of the governor of Lualaba province, who was unable to attend, called for the Energy Week initiative to be continued. « This strategic platform for reflection and dialogue is an essential lever for consolidating a collective dynamic geared towards equitable and sustainable access to energy in the DRC. Let us hope that this initiative becomes a lasting and mobilizing tradition, » he said. This second edition of ‘Energy Week’ was held from June 24th to 26th in Kinshasa. At the opening of the conference, ARE CEO Sandrine Mubenga announced that the number of customers served by electricity in the DRC had increased by 38.9% in 2024 compared to 2020.