In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), deputies and senators have been back in the chamber since Monday, September 16, after three months of vacation. This is the first return to school of Félix Tshisekedi’s second five-year term.
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With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Pascal Mulegwa
The holidays were disrupted in the country by shipwrecks, exactions by armed groups and other tragedies, but also by the decline in purchasing power of the Congolese. The Parliament of DRC called on the government to invest in improving the living conditions of the population.
Well before the opening plenary sessions, the head of government, Judith Suminwa, tabled the draft budget for the 2025 financial year, estimated at 18 billion dollars. It is an increase of 21% compared to that of the ending year.
For this exercisethe newly installed President of the Senate, Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde, encourages the government to get involved: ” I encourage the government to make more efforts to mobilize domestic revenues and tackle the problem of the business climate, including the fight against tax incivility, revenue leakage and corruption. The depreciation of our currency is the basis of the fall in the purchasing power of our people and has a very negative impact on the household basket.. »
For his part, Vital Kamerhe, president of the National Assembly, is calling for a budget of ” RELAUNCH “, of ” reform » and of « transformation » : « Our responsibility is to ensure that budgetary choices truly reflect the real priorities of the Congolese people and respond to the challenges we face.. »
A distinguished guest, Adama Bictogo, the President of the Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire, addressed the Congolese elected officials: ” You must carry the hope of the Congolese people. The time has come for our Africa to resolutely engage in the transformation of our economies by prioritizing human development. It is therefore not appropriate that wars be the daily lot of our people who aspire to a better life. »
Both chambers announced the imminent intensification of strict control of government action.
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