Fatshimetrie, October 28, 2024 – On Monday, a meeting of capital importance took place in Gbadolite, in the province of Nord-Ubangi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Minister of Rural Development, accompanied by specialized executives, addressed the crucial issue of the interconnection of national roads and agricultural feeder roads in the region.
As part of his mission on the ground, the Minister of State in charge of Rural Development, Muhindo Nzangi Butondo, stressed the urgency of defining priorities for the construction and rehabilitation of roads. He highlighted the need to connect national, provincial roads and agricultural feeder roads, ensuring an effective link between provincial capitals and territories.
The Minister announced that two major projects were already receiving government funding, including the marking of waterways and the rehabilitation of agricultural feeder roads. He affirmed their commitment to mark out agricultural waterways and rehabilitate more than 11,000 kilometers of agricultural roads in collaboration with the Régie des voies fluviales (RVF) and the Office des voies de desserte agricole (O.V.D.A).
The main objective of this initiative is to create an efficient interconnection between the different traffic routes, by linking general interest roads to agricultural service roads and exploiting waterways where possible.
Furthermore, the Minister addressed the issue of mechanization and the payment of bonuses for his ministry’s staff. He highlighted the challenges facing his administration, including the late payment of salaries and the absence of bonuses for agents. Muhindo Nzangi promised a gradual resolution of these problems and expressed his willingness to put in place concrete measures this semester.
In conclusion, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo is committed to building and rehabilitating a vast agricultural service road network across the country’s 26 provinces. The Minister’s mission ended in Bumba, in the Mongala province, after traveling through various territories to assess the region’s needs.
This meeting in Gbadolite is an essential step in the implementation of structuring projects for rural development in the DRC. The interconnection of national roads and agricultural service roads is a priority to ensure rapid and efficient access to agricultural areas, thus promoting economic growth and the well-being of local populations.