DRC: national deputies ask for an additional 2000 dollars in their emoluments

Text by: RFI Follow

The National Assembly requested an upward revision of the emoluments of national deputies and of the envelope devoted monthly to the functioning of its administration. A formal request was sent to the Prime Minister to this effect by Jeanine Mabunda, President of the National Assembly. MEPs want an additional $ 2,000 each per month. The news caused a stir when the country was going through an economic crisis accentuated by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

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With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Patient Ligodi

The letter from Jeanine Mabunda, President of the National Assembly, dates from May 21, 2020, but the lower house explains that discussions around this request for a salary increase had already started in the ordinary session of September 2019.

The 2,000 dollars requested should be added to a salary of approximately 4,600 dollars excluding bonuses that elected officials receive. Other deputies, including members of the standing committees, already touch a little more during parliamentary sessions.

Several activists have denounced this move, a campaign has even been launched on social networks to ask MPs to speak out against this increase. On the opposition side, the same request was made.

"  With the more than a million dollars that Mabunda wants to have, we can build 50 equipped health centers every month, 50 equipped classrooms every month  ," said Joseph Mabanga, part of the Lamuka civil society platform.

On the side of the prime minister, some sources indicate that nothing is done at this stage. And that in spite of the fact that he transmitted the file to the Minister for the budget last week, the Prime Minister would stick to the reduction of the lifestyle of the institutions.

It is therefore the National Assembly, to which a budget collective almost reduced by half must be submitted soon, who will take sole responsibility for increasing or not the emoluments of deputies.

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