New customs infrastructure at the Kasumbalesa border with Zambia inaugurated by President Félix Tshisekedi
In his fight against customs fraud and smuggling, the President of the Republic Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo inaugurated a set of modern customs infrastructures on the Kasumbalesa border with Zambia. This initiative aims to maximize state revenue under optimal conditions.
Among the new infrastructures is an imposing 2,600 square meter building housing the customs services and equipped with all the necessary operational equipment. In addition, an 8-kilometer reinforced concrete bypass road was built, as well as bonded warehouses, import-export parking lots and accommodation for customs officers.
According to Bernard Kabese, Director General of the DGDA (General Directorate of Customs and Excise), this modernization will speed up the processing of customs files and improve the fluidity of trade. The DGDA financed this project through a partnership with the Congolese company TRAFIGO SARL, managed by Madame Magalie Kayitesa Raway.
The DGDA and TRAFIGO SARL have put in place a reliable and secure system to maximize customs revenue at the Kasumbalesa post. Thanks to this system, which includes traceability software, transparent procedures and management focused on ethics and human resources training, customs revenues have increased significantly, increasing on average from 700 to 1,000% from the first year of implementation.
This exemplary success in the fight against customs fraud and maximization of revenue is a true textbook case in the sub-region. It demonstrates President Tshisekedi’s commitment to Congolese female entrepreneurship, particularly by supporting initiatives led by women like Magalie Kayitesa Raway.
This inauguration of new infrastructure in Kasumbalesa arouses the joy of the local population, who see in this success an opportunity for development and facilitation of cross-border trade. By emphasizing public-private partnership and female entrepreneurship, President Félix Tshisekedi Tshilombo demonstrates his clear vision and concrete efforts to promote the economic development of the Democratic Republic of Congo.