The Democratic Republic of Congo plans to launch its National Tax Mediation Commission (CNMF) by the end of June 2026 as part of a broader set of reforms aimed at improving the business environment and supporting private sector-led growth. In a report published in January 2026, the International Monetary Fund said the commission could help resolve disputes between taxpayers and the tax administration.

The proposal was first presented to the government on September 5, 2025, during the 57th ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers. According to the meeting minutes, Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba outlined plans to reform the tax mediation system as a way to modernise the resolution of fiscal disputes and strengthen legal certainty for economic operators. The government described the CNMF as an “advisory, independent and parity-based” body placed under the authority of the Minister of Finance.

In the same presentation, the commission was also portrayed as a mechanism designed to deliver “efficiency for the administration, equity for taxpayers and predictability for investors.” The meeting minutes added that its launch forms part of a broader effort to make the country’s tax system more transparent and more respectful of taxpayers’ rights.

The IMF says the reform is part of a wider set of fiscal and administrative measures. These include a comprehensive VAT refund action plan due by March 2026, aimed at improving risk-based processing and clearing the backlog of arrears. However, the plan has not yet been made public.

In parallel, the Congolese authorities are pursuing reforms to improve the business climate. Since March 2025, the government has been working on a Strategic Business Climate Plan for structural economic transformation, a public-private dialogue framework intended to strengthen the country’s competitiveness, predictability and investment attractiveness. The government expects to finalise the plan by April 2026.

The CNMF is expected to become one of the key tools through which Kinshasa aims to improve relations between the tax administration and the private sector. Problems with tax clearance certificates, VAT refunds and legal certainty remain among the concerns most frequently raised by businesses operating in the country.

Boaz Kabeya