The province of Haut-Uele in the Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing a surge in the prices of everyday consumer goods according to a correspondence from the synergy of civil societies, addressed to the provincial governor. This situation would result, according to her, from the overtaxation of products at the Boh toll station by the services of the General Directorate of Revenue of Haut-Uele, the Congolese Control Office (OCC), the General Directorate of Customs and Excise ( DGDA) as well as the multiplicity of hassles. Faced with this situation, the synergy of civil societies asks the provincial governor to suspend all services not assigned to the Boh toll station and to eliminate unnecessary checkpoints and tolls. If her wishes are not taken into account, she threatens to recover her rights by herself.
This correspondence of the synergy of the civil societies of Haut-Uele is an alarming sign which highlights the difficulties encountered in the DRC. These are mainly caused by problems of governance, corruption, wars, insecurity and poverty. Populations in certain provinces, such as Haut-Uele, are particularly vulnerable and are often left behind. In this particular province, the population feels abandoned and powerless in the face of economic operators who seek to make profits at all costs.
The economic situation in the DRC is complex. The country has many natural resources but these are often exploited illegally by armed groups or by multinationals who practice corrupt deals. The government is also failing in the management of these resources and in the redistribution of wealth to fragile populations. Taxes on everyday consumer goods are too high for the poorest inhabitants who are struggling to survive. The claims of the synergy of civil societies are therefore not insignificant and illustrate the difficulties that the DRC is experiencing.
It is time for the government of the DRC to respect the aspirations of the population by working to improve governance and by putting in place ambitious economic and social policies. It is by ensuring a better redistribution of wealth, an effective fight against corruption, and by proposing a political solution to armed conflicts that the DRC will truly be able to emerge from this crisis and enable all of its population to live in decent conditions