KINSHASA, Oct. 2– The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will begin enforcing retail trade restrictions in the coming weeks and is drafting a new commercial code to modernize its business laws, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Daniel Mukoko Samba said Friday.
Speaking at a meeting with business representatives in Kinshasa, Mukoko Samba said the government was moving from months of consultations and awareness campaigns to compliance inspections, warning that violations would face penalties.
Under a decree signed by the ministry in March, small-scale commerce and general retail trade are reserved for Congolese nationals, while foreign investors may operate certain specialized retail businesses requiring substantial capital, subject to obtaining a regulatory no-objection approval.
The decree also prohibits businesses from simultaneously engaging in wholesale and retail trade, except where authorized under specified conditions, in a move aimed at preventing abuses of dominant market positions.
“Our objective is not to close the market. Our objective is to better organize it,” Mukoko Samba said, stressing that the reforms were not intended to pit Congolese businesses against foreign operators.
The minister also said the government was drafting a new commercial code to modernize the country’s trade legislation, clarify business regulations and provide greater predictability for investors.
The government remained committed to attracting foreign investment while creating more opportunities for Congolese entrepreneurs, he added. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
