A report was signed this Monday evening between large importers and the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Economy, Daniel Mukuko Samba, in the presence of Prime Minister Judith Suminwa, to formalize the implementation of new prices on basic necessities from Tuesday, December 10. This measure is part of the Congolese government’s efforts to combat the high cost of living and improve the purchasing power of citizens.
“We worked for three months, and this decision aligns with one of the major commitments of the Head of State for his second term: to protect and improve the purchasing power of the Congolese,” declared Daniel Mukuko Samba during from a press briefing. The long and complex process involved several stakeholders, including the Ministry of Finance and various public services, to reduce multiple levies that increase product costs.
The Deputy Prime Minister recalled that excessive levies on the customs cordon contribute significantly to the high cost of food products. “Some of these levies are justified, others much less so. We have taken courageous measures to act on this and restore purchasing power to the population,” he added, while promising that additional efforts will be made to make prices fairer.
Mukuko stressed the importance of collaboration with importers to obtain this agreement and launched an appeal to civil society, in particular to consumer rights associations, to ensure that this price reduction is effective at all levels. levels of the distribution chain. “Tomorrow, I will be on the ground myself to see this drop,” he declared.
-Ibrahim Issaoui, president of the Société Commerciale Import-Export (SOCIMEX) and vice-president of the Federation of Congolese Companies (FEC), confirmed the commitment of importers to apply the new prices from December 10. “The goal was to reduce the price of essential food items, and we are happy with the result. We hope that this measure will satisfy the population,” he declared.
Issaoui also stressed that multiple taxes and non-essential fees remained a major problem, but that the Deputy Prime Minister had promised a step-by-step evolution to reduce the burdens on importers and, ultimately, on consumers.
This measure is part of an overall effort by the government to reduce economic pressure on Congolese households. “Reducing the prices of certain essential products, as we have seen for petroleum products, leads to an increase in consumption and benefits for all,” concluded Mukuko, while specifying that other actions are planned to strengthen this impact.
