ONAPAC Board of Directors meeting at the Memling Hotel in October 2023
On Tuesday, October 3, 2023, the Maiko room of the Memling hotel hosted the second session of the meeting of the Board of Directors of the National Office of Agricultural Products of Congo (ONAPAC). Under the direction of Mr. Muke Mukengeshayi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ONAPAC, this event brought together the Director General, the Administrators and the Secretary General of the Board of Directors, as well as the Representative of the Minister of Agriculture .
During this meeting, Mr. Muke Mukengeshayi underlined the particular context in which this session is taking place. He also recalled the missions of ONAPAC, which focuses on around twenty agricultural products intended for export such as coffee, cocoa, rubber, cinchona, papaya, vanilla and medicinal plants. ONAPAC plays an essential role in supervising producers, processing products, storing them and exporting them.
However, Mr. Muke Mukengeshayi highlighted the difficulties that ONAPAC faces. On an annual budget of 15 million dollars, ONAPAC only manages to mobilize a fifth of this sum, or only 3 million dollars. This situation hampers the smooth running of the company, which struggles to cover its expenses and pay its employees.
The PCA also denounced attempts by certain members of the Fédération des Entreprises du Congo to reduce the benefits of ONAPAC, particularly with regard to service costs. He called on the Minister of Agriculture to support ONAPAC and to counter these maneuvers, which could jeopardize the future of the company.
This meeting of the ONAPAC Board of Directors highlights the challenges faced by this organization responsible for the promotion and supervision of Congolese agricultural products. Despite financial difficulties, ONAPAC continues to play a crucial role in the development of Congolese agriculture and in the promotion of agricultural products on international markets. It is essential that measures are taken to guarantee the sustainability of ONAPAC and support actors in the agricultural sector in the DRC.