ODEP Demands Nationalization of SICOMINES and Condemns anti-IGF Assaults

Florimond Muteba, PCA of the Public Expenditure Observatory (ODEP) believes that it is necessary for the Democratic Republic of Congo to nationalize SICOMINES in view of the losses incurred.

In addition, he believes that the DRC must reject the 500 million USD from SYCOMINES. The PCA of ODEP also protests against all the attacks of which the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) has been the victim since the publication of its report on SICOMINES.

“I demand the nationalization of SICOMINES in view of the damage suffered by the DRC and its people. The DRC must reject the payment of 500 million USD from SICOMINES. I protest against all anti-IGF and anti-homeland activities” , said Florimond Muteba.

According to the Agency for the Coordination and Monitoring of Chinese Contracts Collaboration Agreements, the Chinese side has agreed to pay at least $500 million to finance infrastructure in the DRC. What the ODEP refuses. 

For context, in its report, the General Inspectorate of Finance indicated that out of the 3 billion USD expected, the DRC only benefited from less than 1 billion dollars. 

This is the contract signed on September 17, 2008 between the DRC and a group of Chinese companies (GEC). The Chinese side had undertaken to build 3,500 km of roads, as many kilometers of railways, road infrastructure, 31 hospitals with 150 beds and 145 health centres. All for an estimated value of 6.5 billion dollars, according to the agreement. 

The IGF has identified several cases of imbalance in this agreement described as the contract of the century. She notes, for example, what she considers to be a “glaring weakness and low level of infrastructure investment”.

For its part, the NGO specializing in the public finance sector, ODEP, established in its press release the losses suffered by the DRC for 822 million dollars of infrastructure: – Overcharged infrastructure. For example, the case of the 
50th anniversary hospital, the cost of which amounts to 114 million dollars; – Chinese companies have obtained 3 billion in various tax exemptions; – No repatriation of currencies on the sale of minerals abroad; – Production of SICOMINES sold to Chinese companies shareholders of SICOMINES at half price, causing GECAMINES to lose 7 billion dollars in the DRC.