Kinshasa, July 6th, 2026 (CPA) . – Three industrial production plants manufacturing square steel tubes, armored electrical cables and electrical transformers were inaugurated on Monday in Lubumbashi, Upper Katanga Province, southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, by the Ministers of Foreign Trade and Industry, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Trade consulted by CPA. « The Minister in charge of Foreign Trade and the Minister of Industry inaugurated the Democratic Republic of Congo’s first square steel tube manufacturing plant, owned by the Société de Transformation de Fer (Sotrafer), with a monthly production capacity of 1,500 tonnes, as well as the armored electrical cable and electrical transformer manufacturing plants of Mining Engineering Services (MES), » the statement said. According to the source, Minister Julien Paluku, quoted in the statement, stressed that promoting and protecting local industry remains one of the Government’s priorities, particularly through efforts to reduce imports of manufactured products. He noted that the infrastructure developed by the Vinmart Group deserves government support through measures aimed at safeguarding local industries, easing the tax burden, and promoting its products on national, regional and international markets.
According to the minister, the industrial complex currently provides between 20,000 and 25,000 direct jobs, while generating nearly 200,000 indirect employment opportunities.
The representative of the Minister of Industry also welcomed the implementation of the initiative, describing it as a significant step toward the local processing of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s raw materials and a contribution to achieving the country’s economic and industrial independence.
For his part, the representative of the Vinmart Group said the company plans to develop a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on its site, along with integrated industrial corridors. The inauguration ceremony was attended by provincial authorities as well as chief executive officers of public and private enterprises.