The Democratic Republic of Congo is seeking to regain control over gold flows that are escaping official oversight. Confronted with widespread smuggling and significant revenue losses, the government plans to restructure the sector to channel a larger share of artisanal and semi-industrial production through formal systems.
One of the four main pillars of the strategy presented by President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi at the Feb. 20, 2026 Cabinet meeting is the creation of a national gold traceability and centralized transaction system. The platform would link licensed trading houses to the Central Bank of Congo (BCC) and the mining administration, with the aim of securing transactions, centralizing payments within the formal banking system, and providing real-time visibility into traded volumes.
Connecting trading houses to the BCC could also allow authorities to better assess the volumes actually handled by these entities. In Tshopo province in June 2025, Governor Paulin Lendongolia Lebabonga questioned declarations by certain trading houses reporting monthly purchases of around 10 grams — volumes unlikely to cover their operating costs. “If you tell us you bought 10 grams a month, how do you pay your rent?” he said in Kisangani, according to remarks reported by the Agence congolaise de presse (ACP).
According to the presidency, a significant share of gold production bypasses official channels due to the dominance of artisanal mining and the country’s porous borders, which facilitate cross-border smuggling.
Uganda’s Export Puzzle
Uganda’s gold export data has drawn sustained attention in Congolese media in recent weeks. According to Bank of Uganda figures, gold export revenues rose from roughly $1.25 billion in 2019 to nearly $6.4 billion in 2025, making gold the country’s leading export earner. Commenting on those figures in an interview with East African outlet CEO, Bank of Uganda Deputy Governor Augustus Nuwagaba said: “It may not be ours,” referring to the origin of the exported gold.
Uganda, whose domestic gold mining sector remains relatively limited, is frequently cited in regional smuggling networks. The Daily Monitor, drawing in part on a 2017 report by Uganda’s Financial Intelligence Authority on gold and timber fraud, reported that gold originating in the DRC is repackaged and exported as Ugandan. In a separate 2021 article, the same outlet noted that Uganda produced about 2.9 tonnes of gold while exporting more than 30 tonnes, underscoring a substantial gap between declared production and export volumes.
On the Congolese side, the state-owned company responsible for channeling and exporting artisanal gold estimates that more than 50 tonnes per year escapes state oversight, highlighting the scale of the challenge.
Building Official Gold Reserves
Traders often cite higher prices available in Uganda as a reason for selling across the border. To address this, the second pillar of the presidential strategy proposes economic incentives to make official channels more attractive than the parallel market. Measures under consideration include targeted tax adjustments, a pricing mechanism indexed to international benchmarks, and prompt, transparent payments to producers.
The remaining pillars focus on tighter controls at key exit points and stronger regional cooperation, particularly through enhanced customs information sharing.
If effectively implemented, the strategy could also support the BCC’s objective of incorporating gold into its official reserves.
Timothée Manoke
