For several years, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been facing an alarming increase in its public debt. Indeed, according to recent data from the General Directorate of Public Debt (DGDP), the country’s debt increased from 3 to 10 billion USD in the space of five years. This dizzying escalation worries observers and specialists in the Congolese economy.
The DGDP sources also revealed that in 2010, the debt was reduced from USD 14 billion to USD 3 billion, but it remained at this level until 2019. However, in recent years, the expenditure of the DGDP central public administration exceeded public revenues, which contributed to this explosion of debt. In other words, the DRC finds itself in a delicate situation where expenses are increasing while revenues are struggling to keep up.
Faced with this worrying reality, it becomes urgent to conduct an in-depth analysis of the situation. The Congolese authorities must take adequate measures to stabilize the debt and prevent it from continuing to rise exponentially. It is essential to strike a balance between expenditure and revenue, while ensuring that the country’s resources are managed transparently and efficiently.
To better understand the issues related to the DRC’s public debt, we invited three exceptional speakers to share their analyzes and recommendations. Eric Tshikuma, national deputy and specialist in economic issues, will certainly provide valuable insight into the political and economic choices to be considered. Florimont Muteba, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Public Expenditure Observatory (ODEP), will enlighten us on possible avenues for optimizing the management of public finances. Finally, Lems Kamwanya, economic analyst, will provide his expertise to identify sustainable solutions to this major challenge.
It is essential that the debate on the DRC’s public debt be open and constructive, in order to find concrete solutions to ensure the country’s economic viability in the long term. By joining forces and skills, we will be able to envisage a more stable and prosperous future for the Democratic Republic of Congo.