The financing of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached an important milestone with the recent donation of US$625,000 by the Industry Promotion Fund (FPI). During a ceremony supervised by the Minister of Industry, Julien Paluku, the Director General of the Special Economic Zones Agency (AZES) received this check intended to strengthen the development of SEZs in six industrial spaces in the country.
This action follows President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi’s vision of economic independence and his commitment to diversifying the Congolese economy. SEZs play a key role in this process by helping to promote job creation, attract investment and stimulate the development of local industries.
The FPI’s donation marks the beginning of the realization of this vision. Auguy Bolanda, Director General of AZES, expressed his gratitude to the FPI for this gesture, emphasizing that these funds will be used for the implementation of the first Special Economic Zones.
The Minister of Industry also underlined the importance of the financial support of the FPI in the development of SEZs during the second term of President Tshisekedi. This strengthened collaboration between the FPI and the AZES demonstrates the commitment of the Congolese government to promote economic diversification and to encourage the establishment of SEZs in different provinces of the country.
Indeed, in addition to the city of Kinshasa, SEZs will be set up in other provinces in order to contribute to the diversification of the Congolese economy. Missions have already been carried out in the provinces of Kongo Central, Haut-Katanga, Lualaba, Tanganyika and North Kivu to raise awareness among provincial authorities and identify potential sites for SEZs.
Each province concerned was selected based on its specificities and potential. The targeted sectors in these SEZs include food processing, agro-industry, packaging, hydropower, petrochemicals, construction materials, metallurgical upgrading, pharmaceutical industries, fishing industries, textile industries , among others.
This initiative aims to stimulate regional economic development by promoting job creation, the growth of local industries and the attraction of national and international investments. The SEZs will thus contribute to improving the living conditions of populations and reducing dependence on extractive sectors.
The financial support of the FPI constitutes an important step in the development of SEZs in the DRC. It paves the way for the realization of President Tshisekedi’s vision for a diversified and emerging economy. With this strengthened collaboration, the Congolese government is positioning itself to attract investors and promote economic development through Special Economic Zones.