Kinshasa, July 26, 2024 – The recent conference-debate on the Congolese banking industry, held in Kinshasa, highlighted the urgent need to clean up the country’s financial sector. The renowned speakers stressed the importance of implementing effective measures to ensure the transparency and legality of banking activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Professor Modeste Bahati Lukwebo, during his intervention, stressed the urgency of making the Congolese financial sector free from all forms of illicit activities. He highlighted the need to strengthen banking regulations to ensure that funds circulate in a transparent and legal manner. The fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism was identified as a priority, while encouraging the participation of Congolese in the banking sector to prevent the transfer of funds abroad.
Another speaker at the conference, Professor Nelson Ifeka, highlighted the importance of banks in financing the national economy. He called on banking institutions to grant investment credits to Congolese economic operators, thus contributing significantly to the country’s economic growth.
Furthermore, Professor Emeritus Bob David Nzombengene stressed the importance of linking theory and practice to train students in the reality of the professional world. He stressed the need for young people to understand the challenges encountered in the banking industries, as well as in the insurance and mining sectors, in order to better adapt to them.
In addition, Me Bertin Amani, representative of the association “BNL PACAI”, stressed the importance of creating a favorable business climate conducive to investment in the DRC. He highlighted the challenges of legal, judicial and administrative security to support the country’s economic growth. The association is actively committed to supporting small traders and entrepreneurs by helping them understand the tax aspects of their activities as well as combating abuse and red tape.
In conclusion, the conference on the Congolese banking industry highlighted the need to clean up the country’s financial sector, strengthen banking regulations, and encourage the participation of local stakeholders to promote national economic development. These discussions underline the importance of creating an environment conducive to business and investment to ensure the prosperity and sustainable growth of the Democratic Republic of Congo.