The provisional Senate bureau, under the leadership of its president Léon Mamboleo, had a working session on Friday at Palais du Peuple, with IMF delegation, in a mission of one week in the DRC to assess the country's macro-economic situation.
Consultations under Article IV of the IMF's statutes were confirmed by the head of state, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, at the time of his last visit to Washington to the director general of this Bretton Woods institution. This is a permanent follow-up by IMF economists of the economic situation of member states, including the DRC, where they usually visit once a year for an exchange of views with the government.
According to the head of the IMF delegation, Mauricio Villapuerte, this comprehensive and political assessment of the macroeconomic situation and structural reforms requires support from the parliament. They will then report to the International Monetary Fund's Board of Directors to help the country cope with the economic challenges.
He said that since 2007, there have been prudent policies, efforts to control monetary inflation, the reduction of public finances, and to have a stable economic situation.
Both the Senate and the National Assembly, as the budgetary authority, have a very important role to play, particularly in controlling the government, ensuring the credibility of revenue, helping to improve the business climate, and voting the state budget.
For Senator Léonard She Okitundu, who participated with other senators in this meeting with the IMF team, the DRC's big problem is that to reassure the DRC's investments and partners, we must take austerity measures, make efforts for the creation of wealth, jobs at the same time give an answer to the expectations of the people.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation talked about improving growth in "our country ", taking measures for wealth creation, improving the state budget, governance. Internally, it is necessary not only to improve governance, revenue mobilization but also to improve the business climate to obtain external budget support. The DRC needs a credible budget, while it currently stands at nearly US 5 billion dollars, it is recalled.
(CKS/Yes)