The second session of the meeting of the Board of Directors of the National Office of Agricultural Products of Congo (ONAPAC) was held recently at the Maiko Room of the Memling Hotel. Under the leadership of Mr. Muke Mukengeshayi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ONAPAC, this meeting brought together the Director General, the Administrators and the Secretary General of this public establishment, as well as the Representative of the Minister of Agriculture.
During this meeting, the Chairman of the Board of Directors highlighted the particular context in which ONAPAC finds itself and the missions entrusted to it. He recalled that ONAPAC does not deal with all agricultural products, but only around twenty products intended for export such as coffee, cocoa, rubber, cinchona, papaya, vanilla. , pyrethrum and medicinal plants.
The role of ONAPAC is to supervise the planters, processing, storage and transits, that is to say, to supervise the entire production chain up to export. ONAPAC also plays a crucial role in analyzing the quality of products to determine their prices in the international market.
However, ONAPAC faces enormous financial difficulties. Despite an annual budget of 15 million dollars, ONAPAC only manages to mobilize a fifth of this sum, or only 3 million dollars. This situation compromises the smooth running of the company and causes delays in the payment of employees’ salaries.
In addition, the Chairman of the Board of Directors alerted to the delaying tactics of certain members of the Congolese Business Federation (FEC) aimed at reducing the benefits of ONAPAC, despite its difficult financial situation. These attempts risk dealing a fatal blow to ONAPAC.
Faced with this worrying situation, the Chairman of the Board of Directors requested the support of the Minister of Agriculture to counter these projects harmful to ONAPAC and ensure the sustainability of the company.
In conclusion, the ONAPAC Board of Directors meeting highlighted the challenges facing the National Office of Agricultural Products of Congo. Despite its essential role in the supervision and export of agricultural products, ONAPAC faces significant financial difficulties. It is crucial that measures are taken to ensure the financial stability of ONAPAC and guarantee its proper functioning in the service of Congolese agriculture.