DRC Prepares One-Stop Shop for Mining Investments Above $1 Billion
DRC Plans One-Stop Shop to Fast-Track Mining Investments Above US$1 Billion
The Democratic Republic of Congo is preparing a centralised administrative system to accelerate the processing of major mining investments valued at more than US$1 billion.
The proposed one-stop shop would bring together several procedures currently handled by different government agencies, including company registration, mining licences, taxation and regulatory compliance.
The initial scope would target joint-venture projects worth more than US$1 billion that operate under special tax regimes.
Sicomines, the Chinese-Congolese copper and cobalt joint venture, was cited as an example of the type of project that could fall under the mechanism.
The reform is being developed by the Ministries of Finance and National Economy as the government seeks to reduce the time required to process major investment projects.
Some authorisation procedures can currently take several months because investors must deal with multiple government institutions.
The proposed system would centralise the investor’s administrative process, from company registration and licensing to taxation and regulatory compliance.
However, its final legal mandate and the precise allocation of responsibilities among government agencies have yet to be determined.
The initiative follows a separate fiscal reform being pursued by the Ministry of Finance. In July, Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba Likunde Li-Botayi presented legislation establishing a one-stop shop for revenues generated from collaboration agreements, including major projects such as Sicomines.
It remains unclear whether the proposed mining investment one-stop shop will operate as a separate structure or become an extension of the planned fiscal-revenue mechanism.
This will depend on the final legislation and allocation of institutional responsibilities.
The proposed facility would be open to investors from different countries, including Chinese, American, European and other international companies.
The reform also comes as Kinshasa implements its strategic partnership with Washington. On September 11, the government adopted a draft decree establishing the DRC-US Task Force to coordinate commitments under that partnership, although the task force would have a different role from the proposed investor one-stop shop.
The government still has to finalise and promulgate the legal framework establishing the new mechanism.
The objective is to have the system operational before the end of 2026, although this timeline remains subject to completion of the reform.
The effectiveness of the one-stop shop will depend on the powers it receives, the level of coordination among government agencies and its ability to reduce processing times while maintaining oversight of mining rights, tax obligations and contractual commitments.
