Kinshasa, June 2nd, 2025 (CPA) – The lack of agricultural and energy desert infrastructure and the low rate of completion of structuring projects are destabilizing factors in the socio-economic development of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the president of the Economic and Social Council at the close on Monday of the first session of his institution’s 3rd term. ‘The good will be shown by the government to diversify the Congolese economy in order to achieve the DRC’s economic and social development is confronted by structural difficulties, notably the lack of agricultural and energy infrastructure, the shortage of qualified personnel, the tax burden and the very low rate of completion of structuring projects’, said Jean-Pierre Kiwakana, President of the Economic and Social Council. In his view, development is a question of governance, strategy and opportunity. The mission of the public service is fundamentally linked to improving the quality of life of the population, consolidating well-being and strengthening security. ‘To achieve sustainable and inclusive development, we need in-depth reforms based on three key sectors: justice, education and the economy. Our businesses are currently unable to compete with their foreign partners, and are bludgeoned by heavy and irrational taxation’, he added.
Jean-Pierre Kiwakana stressed that the DRC needs to be seen as a reliable country, capable of attracting and securing both domestic and foreign investors. We cannot, he continued, be satisfied with a large country with great potential without ever being able to realize it and reap the benefits. ‘The weakness of the Congolese public administration is due to haphazard recruitment based on clientelism, which has caused the population to lose faith in its public administration’, he lamented.
President Kiwakana pointed out that the various economic policies put in place by the DRC have not generated wealth, but have only been designed to respond to the dictates of international institutions, to the detriment of the entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation of the Congolese people. The President of the Economic and Social Council also pointed out that the general context in our country is still dominated by the war of aggression imposed by hidden interests through Rwanda. Peace is priceless, and regional and international involvement has intensified thanks to the enlightened leadership of the Head of State, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi. ‘We still have several projects to discuss at the next session, in particular the technical note on the African continental free trade area. This note will address the following themes: agricultural entrepreneurship among young people in rural areas; the DRC’s borders, issues and challenges; the socio-economic issues of the Lobito corridor; reducing the DRC’s economic dependence; setting up an integrated waste management system in the DRC; mining royalties and analysis of the economic situation, which requires the same energy and the same spirit of responsibility on our part. I am convinced that, with the experience we have gained and the momentum we have established, we will rise to the challenges of the future together’, he concluded.