DRC: coronavirus complicates tax collection in Kinshasa

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The administrative and political center of the capital has been isolated from the rest of Kinshasa since April 6. It was however at La Gombe that the business tax was paid, but the center is now closed. The Directorate General of Taxes (DGI) has decided to relocate its counters to Limete, a town near the city center.

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With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Pascal Mulegwa

Since April 30, companies have been invited to Limete to pay income tax in one of these temporary centers. Everything is done outdoors in tents, taxpayers flock to avoid paying fines since this date was theoretically the deadline for paying taxes. Result: The headquarters of the urban tax department is crowded.

This did not pose a major problem for Michel from the construction company Safricas: “  The service is well organized. We have no difficulty filing the financial statements. Everything is fine.  "Paying taxes in a state of health emergency is a sacrifice, according to this other taxpayer:"  A sacrifice to allow the State to have the means to properly manage this crisis.  "

In the middle of the crowd, Laurent Mabiala, the director of studies and communication at the Tax Department, puts on his mask. He remains pessimistic despite the influx of taxpayers this year: "  We are very concerned that many companies may report losses, which is quite likely compared to the economic health of 2019 which was worse than 2018. What counts for us is the number of declarations in the tax mourning of our Covid. The feeling of fiscal patriotism is emerging for the Congolese.  "

Despite the state of emergency, confinement, travel difficulties, the Directorate General of Taxes had the pleasant surprise of recording better income tax revenues than during the Covid-19 period. A bonus of more than 20 million dollars in April. Officials from the Tax Department attribute this influx to an " aggressive "  policy  , when others believe that this relocation has made it possible to disorganize certain mafia networks which behind closed doors could allow the evaporation of these precious revenues.

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