DRC: NGO criticises state public spending over the past three years in report

DRC, Kinshasa, view of the city (illustration), January 2019. John Wessels/Bloomberg via Getty

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In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the non-governmental organization Observatoire de la dépenses publique (Odep) published, on May 1, 2023 in Kinshasa, a report on how the State has used its budget over the past three years. In particular, Odep states that social sectors have seen their credit consumed mainly by political institutions. Explanations.

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With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Pascal Mulegwa

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), there is a need to improve the governance of public finances, insists the Observatory of Public Expenditure (Odep). This Congolese NGO published, on May 1, 2023 in Kinshasa, a report on the execution of state budgets over the last three years.

More than $22 billion in revenue has been mobilized internally. But the quality of spending is still a problem with abandoned social sectors and low systematic investment, says the Observatory of Public Spending. Political institutions consume most of the budget to the detriment of social sectors.

For the Odep, no factor justifies a lack of budgetary discipline

According to Odep, the last three years have been marked by an increase in internal revenues, mainly from the mining sector.

This $ 22 billion represents a surplus of 1%, but the NGO is surprised that mismanagement, such as budget overruns, are still not sanctioned in the DRC.

As a result, the social sectors have seen their credit consumed mainly by political institutions. This is the case for health, where spending has been just over $1 billion in three years. While the initial budgets provided for more than 2 billion in expenditures.

>> READ ALSO: Sale of the assets of the State of DRC: an NGO calls for sanctions

This is one of the reasons, according to Odep, for the non-effectiveness of universal health coverage of primary care, one of President Felix Tshisekedi's flagship programs. Social Affairs received only $60 million of the $178 million planned. The productive and infrastructure sectors have suffered the same fate.

For the Congolese NGO, no factor justifies the lack of budgetary discipline even when the government evokes colossal security spending. It concludes that there is a lack of political will in favour of the most vulnerable and calls for strengthening national solidarity.

>> Read also: DRC: fictitious jobs "cost" $ 800 million annually to the country

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