The Congolese government’s decision to implement a strategy aimed at strengthening financial decentralization is an important step for local development. In a context where the mobilization of resources remains a challenge in several provinces of the country, the adoption of this strategy should enable these decentralized territorial entities to better manage the powers transferred to them.
The strengthening of the provincial and local public service, the development of the provincial and local public finance control system, the digitization of the provincial and local public finance management system, are all axes of the strategy to strengthen financial decentralization. in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These axes should enable the provinces to better mobilize resources, better manage public spending and be more transparently accountable to citizens.
The establishment of a provincial and local steering committee overseeing the process of financial decentralization is an incentive measure that should make it possible to involve all stakeholders in the implementation of this strategy. It will contribute to improving intergovernmental financial relations, in particular by allowing the establishment of flexible revenue transfer mechanisms in favor of the provinces and decentralized territorial entities.
This decision by the Congolese government will contribute to the empowerment of the provinces and decentralized territorial entities, by enabling them to effectively assume the powers transferred to them in accordance with the constitution. It will also strengthen the participatory governance of sub-national finances and guarantee the achievement of local development.
It should be noted that this initiative is part of a series of reforms undertaken by the government with a view to stimulating the country’s economic development. Reforms aimed at strengthening public security and the tourism sector, optimizing the Congolese economy and rehabilitating national roads have also been recently adopted by the government.
In short, the strategy for strengthening financial decentralization in the DRC is a significant step forward for local development. It will make it possible to improve the public management of the provinces, to better mobilize resources, to better manage public expenditure and to report more transparently to citizens. Its participatory and inclusive implementation of all stakeholders guarantees effective management, by the provinces, of the powers transferred to them and the achievement of viable local development.