DRC: Reforms proposed to increase public revenues to USD 100 billion

Kinshasa, June 16^th, 2026 (CPA). – A series of reforms aimed at increasing public revenues in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was proposed by the Minister in charge of Foreign Trade during the second edition of the Kinshasa Scientific Days, according to a statement consulted by CPA on Tuesday. “…The Minister in charge of Foreign Trade put forward several proposals to enable the Democratic Republic of Congo to increase its revenues in order to address development and security challenges and improve the living conditions of the population, by raising the national budget from a modest USD 20 billion to USD 50 billion within five years, and even to USD 100 billion over the next ten years,” the statement read. “The Democratic Republic of Congo has considerable room for growth. Through coordinated reforms and improved revenue mobilization, we can build an economy capable of sustainably financing national development,” added Julien Paluku Kahongya. Addressing the Speaker of the National Assembly, Aimé Boji, members of Parliament and the Senate, government officials, business operators, academics and civil society representatives, the Minister of Foreign Trade stressed the need for greater synergy among institutions. According to him, Parliament should continue legislative reforms, the Government should strengthen revenue mobilization, the judiciary should guarantee legal certainty, and the private sector should expand productive capacity. Among the proposed measures are the continuous improvement of the business climate, the elimination of taxes considered counterproductive, the revision of the law governing the classification of taxes and duties, and the acceleration of the digitalization of trade and customs procedures. “The digitalization reform covering pre-clearance, customs clearance and post-clearance operations must be protected and consolidated to enhance transparency and reduce revenue losses,” the minister insisted, referring to the interconnection between the S-One system of the Integrated Foreign Trade Single Window (GUCE) and the ASYCUDA World system of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DGDA), which has been operational since December 2025. The minister also recommended the establishment of a new governance framework structured around the central, provincial and territorial levels, with particular emphasis on local development and strengthening productive capacities, especially in the agricultural sector. Also participating in the discussions, the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Budget and the Minister of Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises stressed the need to accelerate the digital transformation of the Congolese economy and adopt incentive mechanisms aimed at stimulating investment. Opening the three-day event, the Speaker of the National Assembly called on participants to formulate practical and actionable recommendations.ACP/