Kinshasa, May 13th, 2026 (CPA).– The Finance Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo is expected before the Senate on Thursday to respond to an oral question with debate concerning provincial retrocession funds and the management of Zairianized assets, according to a statement consulted Wednesday by CPA. “The Senate Bureau invites honorable senators to attend the plenary session scheduled for Thursday, 14 May 2026, at exactly 1:00 p.m. in the International Conference Hall of the People’s Palace. The agenda includes (…) oral questions with debate addressed to the Finance Minister by Senator Vunabandi Kanyamihigo Célestin concerning, firstly, the Government’s financial commitments toward the provinces and, secondly, the management of Zairianised assets,” the communiqué signed by Deputy Rapporteur Jean-Claude Baende stated. In his notification, Senator Vunabandi said he had information indicating that provinces do not regularly receive the resources legally due to them, in violation of Article 175 of the Constitution, which stipulates that 40% of nationally collected revenues allocated to provinces must be retained at source. The North Kivu senator also highlighted the non-compliance with Article 181 of the Constitution, which established a National Equalization Fund intended to reduce inequalities among provinces, but which has yet to fully achieve its objectives. According to Senator Vunabandi, the Senate, as the representative body of the provinces, remains particularly concerned by issues relating to decentralization and the Government’s financial obligations toward decentralized territorial entities.
Concerns over the management of “Zairianised” assets
Regarding Zairianised assets, the senator noted that many farms and plantations that were once nationalised remain underutilized and are now sources of land conflicts. “Today, there are still hundreds of plantations scattered across the national territory, as well as immovable properties and even remnants of factories that fall under the category of Zairianised assets. Their owners, incapable of making productive use of them, are involved in major disputes with the State, whereas these properties constitute national assets on which the State could rely as part of measures to revive the economy, particularly in rural areas,” the senator deplored.