**The Project to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a lever for entrepreneurship and job creation**
The Support Project for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (PDMPME) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was established in 2018 for a period of five years with the aim of promoting entrepreneurship and stimulating the creation of jobs, with particular emphasis on young people and women in the cities of Kinshasa, Matadi, Goma and Lubumbashi. This project, supported by the World Bank, played a crucial role in strengthening the capacities of local entrepreneurs and in providing technical and financial support for economic initiatives.
During the presentation and validation workshop of the project completion report, which was held recently in Kinshasa, the Minister of Industry and Development of Small and Medium Enterprises, Louis Watum Kabamba, highlighted the positive impact of PDMPME on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the DRC. The figures speak for themselves: more than 7,000 women have benefited from training and support, while more than 1,300 young entrepreneurs have seen their capacities strengthened and received financial and material support to develop their activities.
Minister Watum expressed the government’s desire to continue to support the development of entrepreneurship in the DRC, stressing the importance of providing the means to young people, small and medium-sized businesses, as well as women, to contribute to prosperity. from the country. He also recalled the government’s commitment to promoting the creation of local wealth and fighting against economic dependence on foreign countries.
For his part, Alexis Mangala Ngongo, National Coordinator of the PDMPME project, stressed that this project is part of a development strategy for the small and medium-sized enterprise sector in the DRC. He highlighted the crucial role of young people and women in the country’s economic growth, stressing that the project made it possible to support the economic initiatives of local operators, particularly in the processing and high value-added service sectors.
Finally, the representative of the World Bank praised the success of PDMPME as a model for the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the DRC. He stressed the importance of understanding the key factors of this success, from project design to implementation, in order to replicate this success in other economic development initiatives.
In conclusion, the Project to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the DRC has not only strengthened the entrepreneurial capacities of young people and women, but also contributed to job creation and the economic growth of the country.. It embodies an example of fruitful collaboration between the Congolese government, the World Bank and local stakeholders to promote entrepreneurship and the economic autonomy of the populations.