Kinshasa, June 5th, 2021 (CPA).– The Minister of State in charge of Planning, Christian Mwando Nsimba Kabulo, on Wednesday initiated in his office in Kinshasa, exchanges of views with representatives of the private and public sector, on the current state of play of the business and investment climate in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the CPA learned on Friday from the Ministry in charge of Planning. The source indicates that the Minister of State, Christian Mwando Nsimba, has indicated that it is now accepted that a better business climate is compatible with the creation and development of businesses, economic growth, increased jobs and improved social welfare. According to him, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) represent an essential plan for the socio-economic fabric of the country, with its vital role which is now in danger with the unprecedented consequences linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is within this framework of public-private dialogue that the Minister of State in charge of Planning has organized this framework of exchanges with professional corporations, namely the representatives of the Confederation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises of Congo ( COPEMECO), the National Federation of Craftsmen, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises of Congo (FENAPEC) as well as the Platform for Female Entrepreneurship in the Democratic Republic of Congo (PEF / RDC), with the idea, among others, of drawing up an inventory of the process of cleaning up the business environment, with a view to proposing concerted solutions. It is also about receiving complaints from the private sector, relating to issues related to the remediation of the business environment, for solutions that can be found as well as advocacy to be carried out with the competent authorities. »It will also be necessary to strengthen the cooperation and the links between the Ministry of Planning and the corporations of the private sector, through a frank dialogue, reassuring them of the will of the government through its actions, to really and effectively clean up the environment business, promotion of investments by nationals and promotion of foreign direct investments.
Complaints presented to the Minister of State
According to the same source, representatives of COPEMECO, FENAPEC and PEF have, on the occasion, presented their various grievances which revolve around the complexity of the Congolese tax system, legal and judicial insecurity. For them, these evils annihilate efforts to improve the business climate. The hosts of the Minister of State in charge of Planning also spoke about the dilapidation, even the impracticability of the infrastructures which prevent the development of a national market supply system by considerably reducing their export competitiveness without forgetting the proliferation of licenses, permits, authorizations and approvals, both in the establishment phase and in the operations and development phases. At the end of this working session, firm commitments were made for the successful conduct of the reforms for the benefit of all stakeholders. The Minister of State thus indicated that a review will be prepared with the assistance of the National Agency for the Promotion of Investments (ANAPI) on a periodic basis, in order to assess the progress made. As a reminder, the improvement of the business climate, the promotion of entrepreneurship as well as the creation of the middle class, constitute the sixth pillar of government action which is articulated around 15 (fifteen) pillars grouped into 4 ( four) major sectors of activity, the implementation of which should lead to the construction of a strong, prosperous and united State. ACP/