The Multisectoral Program for Dissemination and Awareness-raising (PMVS) urged on Monday in a statement, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to present a complete report on the progress of the Local Development Program of the 145 territories (PDL-145) in order to provide a clear vision of its evolution and the challenges to be met to ensure the success of this project.

This statement specifies: "The Multisectoral Program for Dissemination and Awareness-raising (PMVS) urges the government to present a complete report on the progress of the Local Development Program of the 145 territories (PDL-145T) in order to provide a clear vision of its evolution and the challenges to be met to ensure the success of the project."

"Despite the importance of the PDL-145T for the country's development, the PMVS has noted that attention is more focused on the distribution of institutional positions, relegating the execution of ambitious projects like this one to the background," the statement adds.

Ludovic Kalengayi, coordinator of the PMVS, has, to this effect, asked Guy Loando, Minister of Territorial Planning and member of the strategic steering committee of the PDL-145T, to get involved in updating the list of structures already built in order to enable Congolese citizens to follow the progress of this program.

Furthermore, the source informed that during the second meeting of the national operational committee of the PDL-145T held on March 28, Judith Suminwa, former Minister of Planning, had provided an update on the progress of the first component of the program, including the construction of more than 2,000 structures (schools, health centers, administrative buildings) with funding of 511 million US dollars, representing 31% of the total cost.

The first component, with about 78% of buildings under construction. Other projects have not yet started due to the security situation in Kwamouth or in the eastern DRC.

The former Minister of Planning had also announced, at the time, the completion of feasibility studies for the construction of agricultural feeder roads, thus marking the beginning of the second phase of the PDL-145T which will comprise 38,000 km of roads and engineering structures.

The necessary funding for this stage, she had said, amounts to approximately 261 million US dollars, representing 16% of the total cost.

In the first component, each agency was assigned a number of projects to be completed: 761 for UNDP, 733 for BCECO, and 635 for CFEF. In August 2023, the BCECO had reported completion of 120 structures, including 71 schools and 49 health centers, it is recalled.

Boni Tsala