DR Congo: National Assembly Working On $18.5 billion Budget For 2025
November 03, 2024
By Badylon Kawanda Bakiman
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa says particular attention will be paid to investments in the provinces.
The National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Central Africa has just declared admissible the draft of the new finance law for fiscal year 2025 presented by Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka. The budget is valued at 18.5 billion US dollars.
The national deputies thus expressed themselves on Thursday October 31, 2024 after a long and heated debate during the plenary session. The law will be examined in depth by the Economic and Finance Committee (Ecofin).
Prior to its adoption, this ambitious finance bill was deliberately criticized in several respects by national MPs. In her speech, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa noted that particular attention had been paid to investments in the provinces. Among the priorities of this finance bill are the following:
An increase in investment credits, with a significant rise of 18.2% compared with 2024. This will take this credit line from 15.1% in 2024 to 48.4% in 2025; -The strengthening of the security sector, with an increase of 25.2% ;
Continuation of major projects, such as the PDL-145 territories and the construction of the Banana deepwater port.
investment in infrastructure, with the construction of the RN2 Mbujimayi - Bukavu national road and the modernization of certain airports;
free education and universal health coverage “The Finance Bill provides the following key highlights highlights:
an 18.2% increase in investment appropriations compared with their 2024 level, leading to an improvement in its share of the general budget from 15.1% in 2024 to 48.4% in 2025;
a 25.2% increase in funds allocated to the security sector, with a view to building up our armed forces and security forces;
a 16.4% increase in funds allocated to the agriculture, fisheries and livestock sector, from 3,284.1 billion FC in 2024 to 3,824 billion FC;
A 13.7% increase in credits allocated to the rural development sector compared with 2024”. In their speeches, the national deputies recommended that the government place particular emphasis on improving the living conditions of the population, continuing the fight against corruption, increasing the defense budget with a view to preserving territorial integrity, and increasing the budget allocated to improving infrastructure, to name but a few.
