The National Road Maintenance Fund (FONER) has extended the deadline for filing declarations related to the annual axle load fee. Initially set for September 30, 2025, the deadline has been moved to November 30, 2025, the agency said in a statement issued in Kinshasa on September 29.

FONER said the decision responds to concerns raised by taxpayers. It added that transporters who have not received proof of their declaration by November 30 must contact the nearest FONER office.

Once the deadline passes, FONER will immediately launch an inspection campaign to verify submissions, correct errors or omissions, and impose assessments where necessary.

The axle load fee is mandated under Article 16 of the July 7, 2008, law that created FONER, and detailed in a March 6, 2009, inter-ministerial decree. It applies to vehicles with a payload above 3.5 tonnes, at rates of $185 for two-axle vehicles, $270 for three-axle vehicles, and $340 for articulated trucks.

Created in 2008, FONER finances road maintenance through several levies, including the axle load fee, intended to offset damage caused by heavy trucks. Although provided for since 2009, the fee had not been effectively collected. In its 2022 annual report, published in June 2024, FONER still listed it among uncollected revenue sources.

Ronsard Luabeya