In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the government unveiled its finance bill for the 2025 financial year to the National Assembly. An ambitious budget that reflects the country’s major priorities, ranging from strengthening infrastructure to supporting agriculture, including improving security and education. This draft budget is submitted to the Lower House of Parliament for examination and debates began on Thursday October 31.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Patient Ligodi
This finance bill, presented by the Prime Minister Congolese Judith Suminwa Tuluka before the National Assemblyamounts to nearly 50 billion Congolese francs, or approximately 16.8 billion US dollars: 21.6% increase in one year.
Among the salient changes is increased investment spending in key sectors. These funds aim to support strategic projects such as the construction of the deep water port of Banana, and the modernization of national airports.
Among the priorities, security and agriculture
Security also remains a priority for the government, with a 25% increase in credits allocated to this sector. The country faces several fronts in its eastern part, withadvance of the M23 supported by Kigali, the activism of fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and even militias from the armed group Cooperative for the Development of Congo (Codeco).
Agriculture, fishing and livestock also benefit from a budgetary boost, with an increase of 16.4% compared to the previous year. So-called exceptional expenditures, meanwhile, amount to around $490 million, to finance initiatives such as the population census.
Opposition criticism
A finance bill criticized by the opposition. MP Matata Ponyo, for example, denounced the level of corruption, the lack of respect for the expenditure chain and the independence of the central bank. Many points which, according to him, undermine the credibility of the figures put forward.
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