DR Congo: report pinpoints the presidential lifestyle

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The Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to live beyond its means. Despite the hundreds of millions paid by the IMF and the World Bank, the country continues to widen its deficit. The main cause of the plethora of institutions is the result of the alliance between President Felix Tshisekedi and the coalition of former President Joseph Kabila, the majority in parliament. A collective budget is expected and must reduce state spending by almost half. But the deputies are demanding an increase of $ 2,000 a month, justifying it by increasing the salaries of certain institutions, including the presidency occupied by Felix Tshisekedi.

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From our correspondent in Kinshasa, Sonia Rolley

According to the budget implementation report in the first quarter, given the meager revenues of the Congolese state, it is the institutions as a whole that cost too much. Despite the recession, the salaries and bonuses of their political agents and staff were paid almost 91%, although unevenly. Only the Ministries of the Interior, Defense and the Electoral Commission received all of their remuneration.

Recruitment and salary increase ....

Despite this, between January and March, these expenditures represent more than half of the expenditures (63%) executed by the State. With regard to their operating budget, presented in this document as poverty reduction expenditure, the institutions received on average only between 20 and 35% of the amounts entered in the 2020 budget, but it was a historically high budget, deemed unrealistic by the IMF.

What has annoyed more than one member is that the chair has granted himself a one-third increase in his salary. In question: the recruitment since January of 294 agents and a salary scale revised upwards for all the staff of the office of the Head of State. However, the presidency had already scandalized the publication of the 2020 budget, with its 54 special advisers at the level of ministers, almost as much as at the government. 

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• Félix Tshisekedi
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