The alert comes from the Central Bank of Congo (BCC). The Congolese Government’s economic and financial adviser has listed four types of state expenditure that call for a restrictive fiscal policy. Objective: to avoid the explosion of public spending in the face of meager revenues over the next four months.

According to the experts of the Central Bank, which met on August 23 in the framework of the Budget Policy Committee (CMP), the said expenses concern respectively: (1) the convocation of the extraordinary session of the Parliament for the purpose of the investiture of the Government, (2) the installation of the new Government, (3) the School Year 2019-2020, and (4) the first year-end festivities of the new administration.

Indeed, the extraordinary session underway in the National Assembly to invest the Government would require a special budget of about five million US dollars.

The installation costs of the Ilunkamba Government, generally known as « start-up allowances », amount to US $ 5 million for the 66 members, including the prime minister. Not to mention the way of life this great government team that would commit, until the end of this year, a global envelope of 245 million USD.

Back to school in a context of free primary education in public institutions requires 28 million US dollars. And this will now have to be paid each month. For the remaining four months of this calendar year, the global amount to be mobilized is 112 million USD.

Finally, the first year-end festivities of the state apparatus in a context of strengthening national solidarity would also incur expenses for possible 13th month pay and / or the provision of food.

Given these political and socio-economic factors that could disrupt public spending in the face of public revenue with a low mobilization rate, the Fiscal Policy Committee calls for close monitoring of macroeconomic indicators and a strengthening of monetary policy coordination very cautious and restrictive.  »

This preventive measure involves a harsh arbitration on the part of the National Executive to rationalize spending by favoring restrictive and regal expenditure such as back to school.

For the rest, independent analysts recommend that the Ilunkamba Government consider effectively reducing the lifestyle of the country’s political institutions in order to achieve a balanced budget by the end of this year.

Emilie MBOYO