Kinshasa, June 14th, 2026 (CPA). – The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo officially launched DRC-PASS, the country’s national digital identification system, during a ceremony held on Saturday in Kinshasa. The initiative is presented as a strategic reform aimed at modernizing public services and strengthening the country’s digital transformation.
« This launch marks a major milestone in building a State that is more modern, more efficient, more accessible and more citizen-oriented, » President Félix Tshisekedi declared. He explained that the innovation is part of the commitments of his second presidential term to improve the quality of public services, strengthen citizens’ inclusion and promote the emergence of a value-creating digital economy. « DRC-PASS represents a concrete step toward a more integrated administration, better coordination of public services, more reliable citizen identification and a digital economy that creates value, » he stated.
A lever for a digital nation by 2030
President Tshisekedi emphasized that the initiative goes beyond a simple administrative reform and contributes to the country’s broader digital transformation agenda. « This is not an isolated reform but an essential milestone in our ambition to make the Democratic Republic of the Congo a sovereign, connected and innovative digital nation by 2030, » he said.
According to the Head of State, digital technology has become a strategic instrument for sovereignty, good governance, transparency and economic development. He also stressed the importance of involving national talent in this transformation.
« Our youth should not merely consume digital solutions designed elsewhere; they must become their creators, entrepreneurs and beneficiaries, » President Félix Tshisekedi said.
A gateway to digital public services
The President sought to dispel any misunderstanding regarding the nature of DRC-PASS. « DRC-PASS is not a national identity card. It does not replace it, nor does it substitute for the competent institutions or the official documents provided for under our laws and regulations, » he clarified. According to him, the platform is primarily a free, secure and personal digital identifier designed to progressively facilitate citizens’ access to government digital services. « Our ambition is not to create additional administrative complexity but rather to simplify, clarify and secure citizens’ procedures, » he said, noting that users should eventually no longer be required to submit the same information repeatedly to different government agencies.
He further instructed the Government to accelerate the digitization of public services, ensure interoperability among government institutions, strengthen national cyber security capacities and guarantee digital inclusion for populations living in rural and remote areas.
DRC-PASS: The first step in the digitalization of Congolese public services
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Digital Economy Augustin Kibassa emphasized that DRC-PASS represents the first stage of the broader digitalization process of Congolese public services. « DRC-PASS is free, personal, secure and accessible everywhere. Obtaining your unique digital identifier requires no payment. It is a service that the State provides to its citizens, » he declared. The minister also recalled that the system is not intended to replace existing identity documents.
According to Augustin Kibassa, the gradual interconnection of public services will enable citizens to benefit from a more proactive public administration. « When your passport approaches its expiration date, you will receive a reminder to renew it on time. When an administrative document is ready, you will be notified without having to travel, » he illustrated.
Project officials said RDC-PASS is intended to serve as the foundation of a new national digital architecture based on secure authentication, interoperability of public services and the protection of personal data. The promoters of the platform believe that it will facilitate access to administrative, financial, educational and health services while strengthening the fight against fraud, improving public revenue mobilization and supporting the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s integration into the global digital economy.