Concrete Expo, the unmissable event in the construction industry, opened its doors this Monday, October 2, 2023 at the Musompo Trading Center in Kolwezi. This seventh edition began with official discussions and presentations focused on sector issues.
Jean Bamanisa, President of the Organizing Committee, presented ten areas of reflection. The first axis addresses the issue of multimodal transport infrastructure, highlighting the competence shared between national and provincial power. The objective is to assess whether the provinces are able to benefit from FONER taxes to carry out road asphalting and concreting projects.
The second axis concerns the analysis of the economic impact of mining cycles on local economies. Taking the example of Union Minière and Gécamines, Jean Bamanisa wonders whether these past experiences can serve as positive or negative models.
Environmental requirements and challenges linked to climate change are addressed in the third axis. It is essential to find solutions to reconcile mining operations with environmental preservation.
The fourth axis deals with the benefits that the Congolese state derives from mining investments, such as taxes, dividends, and their impact on the national, provincial and local economy.
Decent housing is also at the heart of concerns, with the fifth axis which emphasizes the need to organize the real estate sector. It is proposed that mining companies guarantee access to real estate credit for their employees, within the framework of housing construction programs of different categories.
The sixth axis questions new information technologies and their role in the transformation of Kolwezi into a home automation city. Energy management is also approached from this perspective.
The agricultural sector is highlighted in the seventh axis, emphasizing the importance of food and the development of local resources.
The eighth and ninth axes relate respectively to special economic zones and development plans. It is a question of facilitating investments thanks to these special zones and of putting in place master development plans to create new urban zones.
Finally, the tenth axis concerns governance and transparency in the mining sector, with the objective of strengthening regulation and fighting corruption.
Concrete Expo 2023 therefore presents itself as a unique opportunity to reflect and debate on the major issues of the construction sector in the DRC. The first day’s discussions and presentations gave us an overview of the key topics that will be covered throughout the event. Stay tuned to learn more about developments and advances in the construction sector in the DRC.