DRC: the introduction of income tax is debating

Text by: RFI Follow

At the start of the year, all government officials were subject to income tax on wages and bonuses. A first.

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In January, civil servants saw their salaries cut by 2,500 FC for agents, 4,000 for managers and their bonuses by the maximum provided by law, that is to say 15%.

This Friday, before the Ministry of the Civil Service, several dozen agents protest: " On the little that President Kabila has left us, they want to cut 15%. We appeal to the President of the Republic: he wanted to improve the social conditions of the agents. A year later, he didn't give us a single franc! "Says one. “ We had a budget of four billion, now it's eleven. But there is no thought of increasing the salaries of civil servants, ”gets angry another.

The president of the national intersyndicale of public administration, Fidèle Kiyangi, says not to endorse this spontaneous demonstration, but to understand the agents' concern. " Its establishment was not negotiated, this is where the government made a mistake. But in all cases, agents and officials are not against tax. Because tax is a civic duty. But we cannot withhold what we have withheld from what we give to the agents, because that is not even enough to pay for the monthly transportation to come to work. "

The intersyndicale demands in return the payment of all the advantages provided by law: accommodation allowance, family allowances or transport. The government also undertook to support it in its efforts to reach Parliament to obtain a reduction in the rate applied on premiums.

The unions of civil servants have recognized, requiring tax compliance, that the civil servant must pay the tax. There is no discussion on this. On the other hand, the unions of public servants ask the government to improve the social condition of public servants ... There are plans to improve the conditions, we will do it. We have budgeted allocations to deal with this situation.

Me Jean-Baudouin Mayo, Deputy Prime Minister of the Budget

Since last October, the Congolese government on a pre-program with the International Monetary Fund has been forced to reduce its deficit even though it has adopted a historically high budget of eleven billion dollars. Government and unions have started discussions and have even signed a memorandum of understanding in which several commitments are made.

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