Development
Félix Tshisekedi, “together, we can defeat the 63% poverty rate that is eating away at the country!
Head of State Felix Tshisekedi is going to war against poverty, which has long taken up residence in the DRC. According to him, “poverty remains a mass phenomenon in the DRC, but one that we will all overcome together”. He made this solemn commitment on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, during the launch of the Accelerated Presidential Program to Fight Poverty and Inequality. A programme launched on the Lake of Ma Vallée site in the municipality of Mongafula.
In 2017, poverty was estimated at 63% with an incidence in rural areas of around 70%, despite the absence of a recent update of the national poverty survey.
This poverty is more pronounced in 15 DRC territories with an incidence of more than 85%, according to a study conducted in 2017 by the Cellule d’Analyses des Indicateurs de Développement (CAID). These are the territories of Boso-Bolo, Businga, Djolu, Inongo, Kasongo-Lunda, Katako-Kombe, Katanda, Kiri, Kole, Lodja, Lomela, Lusambo, Miabi, Poko, and Songololo.
Several alarming signal factors point to this rather glaring poverty. These include, in particular,:
Drinking water supply, which is around 26% at the national level, with a glaring disparity between the urban environment, which is 38% supplied, and the rural environment, which is 14% covered. Electricity supply with coverage of less than 10% nationally and only 1% in rural areas.
Lack of decent housing. In this regard, it can be seen that in rural areas, only 7% of homes are built with sustainable materials, while 95% of households lack any sanitation system, septic tanks and covered latrines.
Lack of schools for young people who are left to their own devices; no adult training either, no adequate health system, no roads in good condition to open up, no food, no income, etc.
Consequences of this poverty
Poverty is also one of the main vectors of violence and various other types of conflict. It encourages and revives the emergence of negative forces, including rebel movements, by encouraging the easy recruitment of poor women, men and children into various criminal enterprises, ranging from the “Kuluna” phenomenon in our cities to armed rebellions that are still raging in certain parts of the country.
Living in a hostile environment, without clean water or electricity, without schools or adult education, without adequate health care, without roads, without food, without income,… is one of the most insidious forms of human rights violations.
Nadine FULA
On Thursday September 25, 2024, Bruno Tshibangu Kabaji, Managing Director of the Agence Nationale pour la Promotion des Investissements (ANAPI), and Hesham El Mekwad, the Egyptian ambassador accredited to the Democratic Republic of Congo, exchanged views on investment and trade issues.
The Egyptian diplomat was accompanied by Adham Thabet, development cooperation advisor at the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
Discussions between the two personalities focused in particular on the role of ANAPI as the body responsible for supporting investors in the DRC.
While stressing the need to increase economic and commercial cooperation between Egypt and the DRC, the two parties encouraged Egyptian investors to step up their presence in several fields in the DRC, notably energy, transport, infrastructure and agriculture, fisheries and livestock.
With this in mind, the Egyptian Ambassador expressed the wish to establish regular contacts with ANAPI to support this mutual ambition.
Nadine FULA
According to a report by accountancy firm Crowe, in collaboration with the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime at the University of Portsmouth, fraud accounts for an average of 6.4% of expenditure in the global mining sector, rising to 8% for procurement operations.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where natural resources are abundant, corruption has devastating economic consequences.
Corruption costs the global economy an estimated $2.6 billion a year, representing 5% of GDP.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, these losses undermine essential government revenues, particularly taxes and royalties.
Fraudulent practices, such as the delivery of substandard goods and the creation of fictitious employees, exacerbate the situation. In addition, bribes to obtain mining permits undermine confidence in institutions.
To combat this corruption, the report recommends preventive measures that could reduce losses by up to 40% in one year. These include rigorous control systems and regular audits. Such an approach can not only improve corporate profitability, but also enhance transparency in a sector vital to the national economy.
By strengthening governance and reducing corruption, the DRC can transform its mining potential into a genuine engine of sustainable growth for the country and its communities.
Flory Musiswa
Completion of the 1st phase of work on the 145-Territory Local Development Program (PDL-145 T) was the focus of discussions this Tuesday, September 24, 2024, in New York, USA, between the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister in charge of Planning, Guylain Nyembo; the Minister of Finance, Doudou Fwamba Likunde Li-Botayi, and the Director of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
During this high-level meeting, the Minister of Finance of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) informed the UNDP Director of the Congolese Government’s requirements. These included speeding up completion of the remaining works by December 31 of this year, before launching the second phase of the program, which focuses mainly on agricultural feeder roads.
En réaction, la Directrice du PNUD a rassuré les autorités congolaises de la volonté et de la disponibilité de son institution à accompagner les projets visant à améliorer les conditions de vie de la population de la RDC dans son ensemble.
Selon les services du ministère congolais des Finances, le taux d’avancement des travaux confiés au PNUD est évalué à 84,1%. Ce qui justifie la satisfaction de toutes les parties prenantes.
Le Programme de Développement Local des 145 territoires (PDL-145T) est une initiative ambitieuse du Chef de l’État congolais, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, visant à lutter contre la pauvreté, les inégalités et à promouvoir le développement dans les 145 territoires du pays.
Les premiers volets du programme incluent la construction, la réhabilitation et l’équipement d’écoles, de centres de santé et de bâtiments administratifs, ainsi que la réhabilitation des routes de desserte agricole.
Par ailleurs, les autorités congolaises ont annoncé l’organisation d’une table ronde axée sur les investissements. Y prendront part notamment les bailleurs de fonds et les investisseurs du secteur privé.
Patrick BOMBOKA
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