DRC: a joint commission soon to be set up to relaunch the biometric driving licence production process

The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) intends to put an end to a kingdom of unqualified vehicle drivers.
To this end, the government has just announced the imminent creation of a commission to work on the production of the biometric driving license, a process interrupted in 2017.

The Minister of Transport, Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, announced, during the Council of Ministers meeting of November 1, 2024, the formation of a joint commission for this purpose.

In the minutes of the Council of Ministers, the Government states that the commission in question will bring together representatives of the Office National de l’Identification de la Population (ONIP), the Direction Générale des Recettes Administratives, Judiciaires, Domaniales et de Participations (DGRAD), and a specialist service provider. The aim was to develop and analyze a process for producing and issuing driving licenses.

During the discussions, Jean-Pierre Bemba reported that the project aims to modernize and secure the process of obtaining a driver’s license.

The introduction of biometric features, reassured the Government, will enable us to combat fraud and forged documents more effectively, enhance road safety and improve the management of driver data.

The finalization of the partnership with the service provider before the implementation of the project seems to be the last turn initiated by the national executive before the issuance of secure driving licenses.

Olivier KAFORO