Local Development Program for 145 Territories in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A report of mixed progress
The Local Development Program for 145 Territories in the Democratic Republic of Congo, launched a few years ago, was recently the subject of a report published by the Center for Research in Public Finance and Local Development (CREFDL). This report highlights the progress of the program at the end of August 2023, and the results are mixed.
Of the 2,143 infrastructures planned as part of the program, only 311 works have been delivered, which represents an execution rate of only 14.5%. This observation is far from satisfactory and raises questions about the management and monitoring of the program.
The CREFDL points out a lack of monitoring at the level of the Decentralized Territorial Entities (ETD), including the absence of functioning of the Provincial and Territorial Monitoring Committee, due to the lack of financial resources. This situation compromises the coordination and good management of the infrastructure to be built.
Faced with this observation, the CREFDL makes several recommendations, in particular the hearing of control bodies such as the Court of Auditors, the General Inspectorate of Finance and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority in order to analyze the use of funds allocated to the program. This measure aims to ensure better transparency and optimal management of resources.
The report also encourages the population to take ownership of the Local Development Program of 145 Territories, by strengthening citizen control to avoid abuses and failures. The active participation of citizens is essential to guarantee the relevance and effectiveness of the projects implemented.
However, despite these mixed results, the CREFDL underlines that of the 1,523 remaining infrastructures, 865 schools, 567 health centers and 91 other works could be delivered by April 2024, thus reaching an achievement rate of 71.5% compared to to the forecasts of the first phase of the program. This outlook remains encouraging and justifies continued efforts to successfully complete this development program.
In conclusion, the progress of the Local Development Program for 145 Territories in the Democratic Republic of Congo presents both shortcomings and prospects for improvement. It is essential to strengthen monitoring and control of the program, while promoting citizen participation, in order to ensure its success and contribute to the development of the Territories concerned.