DRC President Urges New ARSP Chief to Enforce Subcontracting Law and Strengthen Local Content
Félix Tshisekedi Calls for Strict Enforcement of DRC Subcontracting Rules Under New ARSP Leadership
The newly appointed Director General of the Regulatory Authority for Subcontracting in the Private Sector (ARSP), Ted Beleshayi Kasanda, has been instructed by President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo to ensure strict enforcement of the country’s subcontracting regulations and promote greater participation of Congolese businesses in the private sector.
Kasanda received his first official audience with the Head of State on 23 July 2026 at African Union City, where discussions focused on strengthening the implementation of the subcontracting law and improving local content development in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to Kasanda, President Tshisekedi’s message was clear: “firmness, rigour and zero compromise” in applying the law governing subcontracting activities.
“The President of the Republic considers this law non-negotiable because it is a key instrument for promoting local content and building a strong class of Congolese entrepreneurs,” Kasanda said after the meeting.
The ARSP Director General said he had been instructed to take firm action against companies that attempt to bypass subcontracting regulations, ensuring that the law becomes an effective tool for creating opportunities for Congolese-owned businesses.
“The Head of State asked me to be firm and uncompromising in addressing practices that undermine the private sector, particularly companies that seek to circumvent the law,” Kasanda said.
He added that a follow-up meeting will be organised to present a strategic roadmap based on a comprehensive assessment of the institution’s operations and challenges.
Kasanda was appointed ARSP Director General through presidential decrees announced on 3 June 2026, replacing Miguel Kashal Katemb, who had led the institution since November 2022.
His appointment comes as the ARSP continues efforts to regulate subcontracting activities in the DRC, including reviewing contracts, cancelling non-compliant agreements and requiring companies to regularise arrangements that do not meet legal requirements.
The government views the enforcement of subcontracting regulations as a critical component of its local content strategy, aimed at increasing the role of Congolese companies in key sectors, including mining, infrastructure and industrial development.
