The Democratic Republic of Congo has retroceded to the 26 provinces a sum estimated at CDF 753,225,695,936 (USD 372.6 million at the average budget rate of 2021 FC per US dollar) on linear forecasts set at CDF 1,661,388,716,346 (822.0 million USD), representing an execution rate of 45%, according to a report by the General Directorate of Budgetary Policies and Programming of the Ministry of the Budget.
The provinces that received the largest budgets are Kinshasa with 168,325,819,118 CDF, Kwilu with 63,942,974,930 CDF, North Kivu with 45,037,360,775 CDF, Kongo Central with 43,862,332,935 CDF, South Kivu with 39,676,812,784 CDF and Kwango with 27,913,175,625 CDF.
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has allocated a sum of 6,645,554,865,385 CDF (3.228 billion USD) to the charges which will be paid by the central government in 2023, out of an overall budget of 16 billion USD. This sum will be used to invest in development projects and improve infrastructure, as the provinces lack funding to meet the needs of their populations.
The handover of budgets by the central government will promote decentralization and allow the provinces to make decisions on infrastructure and investments, to improve the lives of citizens and strengthen the economy.
With this in mind, President Félix Tshisekedi encourages Batswana investors to seize opportunities in the DRC. He believes that they can contribute to the development of several sectors of the Congolese economy by investing in promising projects. The country’s natural resources can be enhanced with the cooperation of other African countries and international institutions.
The handover of budgets by the central government is a major step forward for the provinces. However, challenges remain to be met to improve the management of allocated budgets and for the provinces to achieve their development vision.