DRC Moves to Strengthen Benefits and Support for Local Subcontractors
DRC’s ARSP and DGDA Work to Expand Incentives for Congolese Subcontractors
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is taking steps to strengthen the benefits available to Congolese subcontracting companies through closer cooperation between the Authority for the Regulation of Subcontracting in the Private Sector (ARSP) and the General Directorate of Customs and Excise (DGDA).
ARSP Director General Juan Ted Beleshayi Kasanda met with DGDA Director General Bernard Kabese Musangu on August 31 for discussions focused on improving the incentives and operating conditions available to locally owned subcontracting businesses.
The meeting centred on the implementation of provisions under the Mining Code and the country’s new Local Content Law, particularly those relating to fiscal and customs incentives for Congolese companies.
Technical Commission to Drive Reforms
Following the meeting, the two institutions agreed to establish a technical commission to continue the discussions and develop practical measures that can deliver tangible benefits to local businesses.
The initiative seeks to identify ways in which customs instruments can better support local production, investment and the competitiveness of Congolese small and medium-sized enterprises while remaining within the existing legal framework.
For the ARSP, the objective is to move beyond the formal provisions of the local-content framework and ensure that the benefits intended for Congolese businesses are effectively felt on the ground.
This includes examining some of the administrative and operational constraints faced by local subcontractors and determining how customs procedures and incentives can be used to support their growth.
Strengthening Local Participation
The collaboration comes as the DRC seeks to increase the participation of domestic companies in national and sector-specific value chains.
The ARSP sees subcontracting as an important mechanism for building stronger Congolese businesses, creating employment and retaining more economic value within the country.
Rather than limiting local companies to the execution of individual contracts, the regulator aims to promote the development of sustainable businesses capable of expanding their operations and competing more effectively in the private sector.
The recently enacted Local Content Law is expected to provide an additional framework for increasing the participation of Congolese businesses across strategic sectors.
The ARSP-DGDA initiative therefore represents an effort to align regulatory and customs mechanisms with the broader local-content agenda.
If successfully implemented, the measures could improve the operating environment for Congolese subcontractors while supporting greater domestic participation in the country’s mining and wider private-sector value chains.
