Kinshasa, November 9th, 2026 (CPA).- The quality of a structured preparation of projects in the transport sector has been discussed on Monday in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), by the Vice-Prime Minister, Minister in charge of Transport, at the opening of a round table on mobility, modal shift and the reform of the legal framework for transport in DRC.
“I would like to emphasise particularly on one aspect that I believe is fundamental to the future of our sector: the quality of project preparation and structuring. The experience of several initiatives and projects undertaken in our country teaches us a vital lesson. The relevance of an idea or the importance of a project’s strategy is not enough to guarantee its success,” Jean-Pierre Bemba, Vice-Prime Minister, Minister in charge of Transport, Communications and Accessibility, has declared.
He has pointed out that a project may respond to a real need, benefit from institutional support and attract the interest of financial partners, yet still encounter significant difficulties if it has not been preceded by sufficiently in-depth studies, or if the technical, financial, legal and operational conditions have not been properly defined.
“We must have the courage to learn all the lessons from our past experiences. This is by no means a question of calling past initiatives into question, but rather of capitalising on the lessons they offer us in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes,” he has said.
According to Mr Bemba, any major infrastructure project in the transport sector must be based on thorough preliminary studies, in particular technical feasibility studies to confirm the relevance and viability of the projects, economic and financial studies to establish the actual investment costs, and traffic and demand studies to assess users’ current and future needs.
Furthermore, environmental and social studies must be carried out, incorporating environmental protection requirements and the interests of the communities concerned, as well as legal and institutional studies clarifying the responsibilities of the various stakeholders.
According to the Vice-Prime Minister, Minister in charge of Transport, the aim is to make DRC not only a transit country, but also a major player in the production, processing and distribution of wealth at regional level.
As regards the government’s expectations following this round table, the government expects these discussions to yield concrete, realistic proposals that can be directly implemented in the conduct of its national transport policy.
“I particularly expect the organisers and experts to ensure that the recommendations are formulated with sufficient precision to enable the government to examine them, evaluate them and, where appropriate, incorporate them into the action programme and sectoral planning instruments,” he has concluded.
The National Round Table on Mobility, Modal Shift and the Reform of the Legal Framework for Transport in DRC is organized from November 9th to 11th, 2026, in Kinshasa, under the theme: “Building a mobility that brings Congolese people closer together”.
It is organised by the Transport Study Group (GET), under the auspices of the Ministry in charge of Transport, Communications and Accessibility, and President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi. ACP/