A public-private partnership (PPP) signed a year ago between the DRC Ministry of Transport and Pads Corporation Ltd. for the digitization and fee collection for the ministry is now under official review.

The reassessment follows formal objections from the state-owned shipping company, Lignes Maritimes Congolaises (LMC), which protested its exclusion from the project and the new distribution of maritime traffic fees set out in the contract.

To resolve the dispute, consultation meetings were held in Kinshasa on November 3 and 4, 2025. Participants included Transport Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba, Portfolio Minister Julie Mbuyi, LMC executives and the Pads Corporation steering committee.

Following the discussions, LMC Board Chairman Lambert Mende welcomed the talks, saying the initial meetings clarified how the partnership will operate and resulted in government adjustments, without giving further detail. The two ministers reportedly instructed experts from LMC and Pads Corporation to draft a procedural document outlining cooperation procedures between the two parties.

The PPP, signed in March 2024, covers the design, financing, operation and maintenance of an $11 million digital platform over 10 years for the automated collection of fees within the Transport Ministry. The project introduced a new fee structure for maritime traffic rights, which were previously allocated entirely to LMC: 10% is now designated for Pads Corporation, 17.5% for the operations of certain administrative bodies, and the remainder for LMC.

The state company has publicly criticized the new distribution, arguing it represents a loss of revenue and a reduction in its financial autonomy. The Ministry of Transport, for its part, described the PPP as a modernization initiative aimed at improving transparency and ensuring reliable revenue streams to support the reconstruction of LMC’s national fleet.

Established in 1974, Lignes Maritimes Congolaises oversees the shipping of Congolese goods abroad. In May 2025, the company announced plans to acquire two new vessels to modernize its fleet.

Ronsard Luabeya