DIGITAL (74)
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Inspectorate General of Finance (IGF) plans to spend $39 million over the next three years to modernize its oversight of public spending, as the institution seeks to shift toward a data-driven control system based on interconnected government databases and artificial intelligence.
According to the IGF, $22 million in financing has already been secured, covering nearly 56% of the project's total cost. The institution still needs to mobilize about $17 million, including through additional credit lines in the state investment budget.
The reform plan was presented by IGF chief Christophe Bitasimwa. It aims to overhaul public finance control methods by reducing reliance on periodic field inspection missions in favor of a more permanent, systemic and preventive oversight model.
The strategy centers on linking the IGF to several government information systems, including those used by financial authorities, customs services, payroll management, public procurement agencies and other institutions involved in managing state revenues and expenditures.
Data-driven oversight
The infrastructure is expected to enable cross-checking of data across administrations, identification of inconsistencies, risk mapping and faster detection of potential fraud, tax evasion and misuse of public funds.
The IGF also plans to move toward a more analytical oversight approach. Retrospective and real-time audits are expected to be gradually supplemented by forward-looking controls based on historical data analysis, digital traceability and automated analytical tools. Artificial intelligence is expected to play a central role in the reform.
The initiative follows several audit operations through which the IGF says it generated substantial savings for the state. According to the institution, it contributed to around $690 million in savings on repayments linked to state-backed loans.
The IGF also says it identified 38,597 ghost workers and 1,007 duplicate records in government payroll files, with a combined monthly fiscal impact estimated at 15.786 billion Congolese francs.
The success of the modernization plan will depend on several factors, including securing the remaining financing, strengthening technical capabilities and ensuring effective integration of public databases.
The project also faces structural challenges related to internet connectivity, electricity supply, cybersecurity and domestic hosting of sensitive public data.
Ronsard Luabeya
Telecom companies operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo have called on authorities to support long-term improvements to network infrastructure, arguing that persistent service disruptions stem not only from internal shortcomings but also from broader structural challenges.
In a joint statement relayed last week by the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Affairs, the operators said they were ready to work with the government on short-, medium- and long-term solutions that are expected to be presented soon.
The companies said the deterioration in service quality cannot be attributed solely to problems within their own networks. They pointed to several external constraints that continue to affect sector performance despite ongoing investment efforts.
Among the challenges cited were unstable electricity supply, repeated fiber-optic cable cuts, destruction of infrastructure, insecurity along several road corridors, limited spectrum availability and underdeveloped infrastructure. According to the operators, these constraints are complicating technical teams’ access to telecom sites and hindering network maintenance operations.
The statement comes as Congolese authorities intensify pressure on telecom companies over service quality. During a cabinet meeting in January, President Felix Tshisekedi ordered that sanctions against operators failing to meet obligations related to quality of service, continuity, coverage and consumer protection be enforced “firmly and without leniency.”
The president also called for stronger regulation, tighter oversight and permanent network monitoring mechanisms amid persistent consumer complaints over dropped calls, slow mobile internet connections and unstable services.
High Energy Costs
The concerns raised by operators echo findings published by the GSMA, the global mobile industry association. In a report released in September 2025 on the DRC’s digital economy, the organization said the country’s telecom infrastructure remains heavily dependent on diesel-powered generators.
According to the GSMA, a large proportion of telecom sites are not connected to the national electricity grid, a situation expected to worsen as network coverage expands into rural and remote areas. The organization estimates that operators already spend between 40% and 60% of their operating costs on purchasing and transporting diesel to power antennas and technical equipment.
These expenses weigh heavily on operators’ finances, undermine service continuity and may ultimately be passed on to consumers.
The GSMA also described the Congolese telecom market as particularly costly to operate in, citing tax pressure, regulatory and administrative hurdles affecting infrastructure deployment, as well as high maintenance and energy costs.
For now, authorities are holding telecom operators chiefly responsible for service quality. The 2020 law on telecommunications and information and communication technologies provides for financial penalties in cases where operators fail to comply with obligations set out in their licenses and technical specifications.
The law states that “any violation of one or more clauses of the license, the authorization or the technical specifications attached thereto that does not result in the suspension or withdrawal of the license shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding one quarter of the price of the license.”
With the measures announced by operators still pending, the dispute is increasingly centered on accountability. Authorities are demanding immediate improvements in service quality, while telecom companies argue that sustainable network upgrades will also require greater public investment in electricity supply, security and national infrastructure.
Pierre Mukoko
In 2025, mobile internet revenue exceeded half of the telecommunications market's total turnover in DRC, confirming a gradual pivot in operators' business models toward data.
According to data from DR Congo's postal and telecommunications regulator, the ARPTC, the sector's overall revenue reached $2.394 billion in 2025, with mobile internet services alone generating $1.287 billion. Data now accounts for roughly 53.8% of market revenue, up from around 14% in 2016.
BDO RDC highlighted the same trend in a sector note published in May 2026, stating that data has become the primary growth driver of the Congolese telecoms sector.
The ARPTC's fourth-quarter 2025 report confirmed this shift in usage patterns. Traditional services such as voice calls and SMS are declining, while consumers are increasingly turning to multimedia content, messaging applications, streaming and digital services.
Average data consumption per subscriber has risen sharply. According to BDO RDC, it increased more than 24-fold between 2016 and 2025, driven by the spread of smartphones, improved connectivity and the expansion of digital applications.
Airtel still leads
In the mobile internet revenue segment, Airtel held the top position with a 43.02% market share in the fourth quarter of 2025, ahead of Orange at 28.44%, Vodacom at 24.63% and Africell at 3.91%. The regulator attributed Airtel's performance to the appeal of its data packages, the strength of its infrastructure and one of the country's most extensive 4G deployments. It also cited a strategy aimed at broadening enterprise access to data services.
The growth of mobile internet has come alongside a significant challenge: service quality. The ARPTC noted deteriorating service as perceived by subscribers across all operators over several quarters, a problem that has become more acute as digital usage increases.
Beyond revenue, the expansion of mobile internet is part of a broader digital transformation dynamic. The DRC had 73.9 million active mobile subscriptions at the end of 2025, for an overall penetration rate of 65.9%. The mobile internet penetration rate reached 33%.
Mobile money continued to advance as well. The ARPTC recorded 34.3 million active mobile money subscriptions in the fourth quarter of 2025, representing a penetration rate of 30.6%. The trend confirms the growing integration of telecommunications into digital financial services.
Boaz Kabeya
Airtel Money DRC, the financial services arm of Airtel DRC, posted a 42% jump in revenue to $194.8 million in 2025, up from $137.2 million the previous year, according to a report by Congo's postal and telecommunications regulator, the ARPTC, published April 10, 2026.
The Indian operator is now rapidly closing the gap with M-Pesa, Vodacom DRC's mobile money service, which has dominated the market since its 2012 launch. M-Pesa recorded $207.1 million in revenue in 2025, a 23% increase, according to the same data. The gap between the two players narrowed to $12.2 million from $31.3 million a year earlier. Airtel Money's average market share in mobile financial services transactions rose from 37.5% in 2024 to 40.8% in 2025, while M-Pesa's share slipped from 46% to 43.4%.
According to the GSMA, the global mobile industry association, even a slight increase in transfer or withdrawal fees can trigger a much sharper drop in the number of users or transactions. Fee levels therefore remain a key factor in users' choice of mobile money provider.
That pricing strategy helped drive Airtel Money's growth in 2025. In April 2024, the company announced a 30% cut in withdrawal fees and a 20% reduction in transfer fees. After the fee cuts, Airtel Money's active subscriber base grew 22.4% over the year to 11.1 million.
That growth, however, trailed that of Orange Money, the mobile money arm of Orange DRC, whose active customer base surged 50.4% to 7.7 million — the strongest expansion in the market, according to the ARPTC report. M-Pesa remained the market leader, with 15.4 million active subscribers, according to the regulator, which counts customers who have been active at least once in the past 90 days.
Internal billing advantage
Airtel Money's competitiveness in the Congolese market rests on a little-known internal arrangement. Between April 2024 and July 2025, Airtel DRC billed its mobile money subsidiary an average of just 0.61% of transaction revenue for the use of USSD codes, compared with 3.69% at Vodacom, 11.48% at Orange and 12.47% at Africell, according to monthly data compiled by the ARPTC.
The internal billing rate later rose more than fivefold, reaching 3.38% in August 2025 before settling at 2.90% in December. It nonetheless remained the lowest in the market throughout.
Airtel's ability to maintain a lower internal billing rate than rivals Vodacom and Orange stems from a leaner operating model inherited from Airtel Africa's expansion across 14 markets. The group, which reported 54.1 million mobile money customers as of end-March 2026 in its recently published annual accounts, operates on a shared regional technical platform and leverages its dominant position in mobile internet in the DRC. Airtel holds a 43.5% share of revenue and 38.9% of mobile data volumes in the country, making it the market leader in both categories, according to the ARPTC report.
The Congolese digital payments market is, however, evolving rapidly. On April 9, 2026, the Central Bank of the Congo announced a ban on cash payments in foreign currencies, effective April 9, 2027. The measure does not prohibit the use of the dollar, but requires dollar transactions to be processed through bank transfers, payment cards or electronic wallets. It is expected to boost mobile money transaction volumes in the coming quarters, in an economy that is more than 90% dollarized.
At the same time, U.S. fintech Wave, which counts 18 million users across Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon, has entered the DRC market and charges a 1% transfer fee. Its arrival is also expected to reshape the competitive landscape.
Idriss Linge, with Ecofin Agency
HT DRC Infraco, the operational entity of Helios Towers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, signed a memorandum of understanding with electricity sector regulator Autorité de régulation du secteur de l'électricité (ARE) on May 7, 2026. The agreement, signed by ARE Director General Soraya Aziz Moto and HT DRC Infraco Manager Maixent Bekangba, aims to establish a framework for supplying power to the group’s telecom sites in the country.
According to the ARE, the protocol is designed to facilitate telecom operators’ access to regulated electricity solutions, improve coordination with licensed electricity providers and strengthen tariff transparency. It also provides for collaboration on solutions tailored to off-grid sites or areas facing power supply constraints.
Helios Towers operates nearly 2,800 telecom sites in the DRC, a significant share of which are located in rural areas. In those locations, powering telecom towers relies heavily on generators, batteries or hybrid solar systems to ensure service continuity. The group also plans to invest more than $100 million to expand its infrastructure across 23 provinces, a move expected to increase its energy requirements in a country where electricity access barely exceeds 21%.
The agreement between the ARE and HT DRC Infraco reflects the growing importance of energy in the business model of telecom infrastructure operators in the DRC, a market where mobile internet and mobile money services continue to expand.
According to the latest data from telecom regulator ARPTC, the DRC had 73.9 million active mobile subscriptions in the fourth quarter of 2025, against an estimated population of 112.2 million, representing a penetration rate of 65.9%. Mobile internet now accounts for more than 55% of the sector’s total revenue, while the mobile money adoption rate reached 30.6% at the end of 2025.
Boaz Kabeya
Eastcastle Infrastructure's Democratic Republic of Congo subsidiary is pursuing an expansion project worth about $180 million, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) said on April 27, 2026. The IFC holds an 18.38% stake in the company.
The World Bank’s private-sector arm said the project aims to expand Eastcastle’s tower network in a country where digital infrastructure remains underdeveloped.
According to the latest data from the ARPTC, the DRC had 73.9 million active mobile subscriptions in the fourth quarter of 2025, for a population estimated at 112.2 million, equivalent to a penetration rate of 65.9%. Mobile internet generates more than 55% of total sector revenue, while mobile money penetration stood at 30.6% at the end of 2025.
To support expansion in a market where access to credit is limited, the IFC is preparing a new financing package for Eastcastle Infrastructure DRC. The package is expected to include a $30 million loan with longer maturities than typical commercial financing, along with up to $30 million mobilized from other lenders. The IFC board is scheduled to vote on the proposal on May 30.
Toward more than 1,000 towers
If approved, the financing will extend the support the IFC has already provided to Eastcastle. In 2023, the institution mobilized $60 million through a similar structure to fund the expansion of the company’s tower network in the DRC.
The new commitment reflects growing interest from international lenders in the Congolese telecommunications sector, seen as one of the most promising in Africa but still among the least developed in terms of infrastructure.
“This amount, combined with $34 million from Standard Bank of South Africa, will allow us to surpass 1,000 towers in the DRC,” said Peter Lewis, co-founder and director of Eastcastle Infrastructure Ltd., at the time.
The project’s expected outcomes have not been disclosed. However, new towers are being deployed, particularly in rural and remote areas that remain underserved by traditional infrastructure.
The DRC is a strategic market for Eastcastle. In 2023, Lewis described it as “one of the best markets in Africa,” citing strong demographic growth and a structural shortage of telecom infrastructure.
The group aims to continue expanding its network to keep pace with rising mobile usage in a country where a significant share of the population remains unconnected or poorly served. Other tower companies, including Helios Towers and Esengo Towers, are pursuing similar expansion projects.
Pierre Mukoko
MainMoney launched a palm-based biometric payment system in Kinshasa on April 29, 2026, offering an alternative to cash-dominated transactions in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The system allows users to make payments without a bank card or mobile phone, using the palm of the hand as a unique identifier.
The technology relies on “Palm Vein” recognition, which analyzes the internal vein patterns of the hand to verify identity.
“The idea behind MainMoney is that your hand becomes your wallet,” Chief Executive Sylvain Mubenga said at the launch. “At least 29 million Congolese have a mobile money account, but cash still dominates transactions. We want to expand financial inclusion,” he added, according to Actualite.cd.
In a country where cash remains prevalent despite the growth of mobile money, the solution aims to simplify access to digital financial services. Users must first enroll their biometric data, which is then linked to a payment profile.
Financial inclusion on the rise
The system does not replace bank accounts but the tools used to access them, such as cards, phones or codes. It must be linked to a bank account, a mobile money account or a MainMoney wallet. Once activated, it enables payments directly at a terminal without the need for a physical device.
According to its developers, the technology is difficult to counterfeit because it relies on vein patterns inside the hand, unlike conventional fingerprint systems.
MainMoney is targeting both individuals and businesses. The terminals are designed for use in supermarkets, gas stations, healthcare facilities and workplaces, including for payroll management.
These applications have not yet been deployed at scale. For now, the solution is presented as a tool that can integrate with existing payment systems in a market dominated by mobile money and cash.
The launch comes as financial inclusion is improving. According to the National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2023–2028, published in July 2023, the inclusion rate stood at 38% in 2022. The central bank now estimates it at 50%, with a target of 65% by 2028.
Pierre Mokoko
President Félix Tshisekedi outlined six priority areas to modernize the Democratic Republic of Congo’s postal and telecommunications sector and strengthen digital security at the opening of the first national conference on Posts and Telecommunications on Monday in Kinshasa.
The priorities include expanding infrastructure, updating the legal, regulatory and tax framework, improving service quality, promoting digital and financial inclusion, developing human capital, and strengthening technological sovereignty and digital security.
For the government, the challenge is no longer simply to connect more citizens, but also to exert greater control over key infrastructure, data and networks. The initiative comes as the country prepares its National Digital Plan 2026–2030 (PNN2) and its first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, both aimed at positioning the DRC as a regional digital hub by 2030.
Connectivity
Expanding connectivity remains the most immediate priority. The government plans to accelerate fiber optic deployment, strengthen the national backbone, develop inter-provincial links and use satellite or hybrid solutions to reach remote areas. The goal is to reduce the wide access gap between urban centers and rural regions.
Reform of the regulatory and tax framework is also seen as critical. Tshisekedi called for a clearer and more attractive environment for private investment. The reform is widely expected in a sector where tax pressure is frequently cited as a major obstacle to network expansion and lower costs for users.
Digital inclusion is another priority. The government aims to bring rural populations, youth, women and small businesses further into the digital economy. This includes expanding digital education, seen as a driver of employability, innovation and competitiveness.
By placing technological sovereignty and digital security at the core of its roadmap, the government aims to turn the DRC into a digital nation by 2030, while strengthening protection for data, public systems and critical infrastructure.
PM
CRDB Bank Congo, the Congolese subsidiary of Tanzania's CRDB Bank Group, launched the TemboCard Visa in Kinshasa on April 10, 2026. The launch was held in partnership with Visa, the global digital payments company, as the banking sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo accelerates digitalization.
Backed by the international Visa network, the TemboCard enables secure payments domestically and internationally, both online and at point-of-sale terminals. Cardholders can also withdraw cash from compatible ATMs.
The product is offered in two tiers: a Classic Visa card targeting the general public and a Gold version aimed at wealthier clients. The bank said it intends to serve a diverse customer base ranging from individuals to businesses.
Patient Mwenze, deputy chief executive of CRDB Bank Congo, said the product is part of a strategy to modernize the bank's offering and encourage the use of electronic payments in a market still dominated by cash. He added that the card is designed to give Congolese clients access to financial services usable worldwide.
"Wherever you are, you can use the TemboCard to make payments online, at payment terminals or ATMs, whether locally or internationally. We are opening the DRC to the world. This supports financial inclusion," he said.
Sophie Kafuti, country manager of Visa DRC, said the launch is aimed at supporting the shift away from cash by enabling faster, traceable and more secure payments. She said the initiative would help expand access to formal financial services in a largely informal economy.
"We want to create a cashless economy that promotes transparency, security and speed of payments. The goal is above all to strengthen financial inclusion. CRDB, a Tanzanian bank, has chosen the DRC to broaden access to financial services and help transform an ecosystem that remains largely informal," she said.
CRDB Bank has been present in the DRC for two years, first opening in Lubumbashi. In December 2025, it opened a branch in the Gombe commune of Kinshasa as part of an effort to expand its customer base and diversify its revenue streams.
According to the bank's Pillar 3 report for the first half of 2025, its activity is still heavily reliant on Treasury bill income, which generated approximately 8 billion Congolese francs out of a net banking income of 10.4 billion, representing nearly 77 percent of the total. Revenue from client-related operations, including loans, stood at 1.6 billion Congolese francs, or about 15.6 percent of the total.
Ronsard Luabeya
Fonds de promotion de l'industrie (FPI), a state-owned fund that finances industrial projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, launched its integrated management system (ERP) on April 8 in Kinshasa as part of efforts to modernize and streamline its operations.
The digital platform is designed to automate processes and centralize operations, with the institution saying it will help improve performance, enhance transparency and optimize costs.
Director General Hervé Claude Ntumba Batukonke said the system replaces previously fragmented processes, marking a shift toward more structured and efficient operations. He added that it would help the FPI better organize its data flows and strengthen monitoring of its activities.
Developed with support from Tunisian firm Système Informatique de Gestion Automatisée (SIGA), the platform covers several core functions, including managing financing applications, tracking disbursements and projects, handling debt collection, overseeing the industrial development tax, as well as accounting, treasury, financial reporting, internal controls and risk management.
According to Stéphane Tshitende, director of information systems and project manager, the system also improves connectivity with partners, giving project developers and eligible companies real-time access to their financial information.
The launch follows several months of development. In October 2025, the FPI said the project was progressing with SIGA, which had been selected through an international tender, and identified digital transformation as a key priority.
The initiative aligns with the institution’s 2026–2028 action plan, which sets out a roadmap focused on improving institutional performance and modernizing management tools.
With the new system, the FPI aims to strengthen operational monitoring and improve visibility over the delivery of its mandate.
Ronsard Luabeya
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DR Congo's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications signed a memorandum of understanding with Unicom Airnet, a subsidiary of state-owned operator China Unicom, on April 7, 2026, in China, for the construction of a telecommunications satellite. According to an official statement, the agreement aims to "support digital sovereignty and improve national connectivity."
For similar objectives, the Democratic Republic of Congo had already signed a memorandum of understanding with Monacosat in November 2024. In September 2025, a representative of the Monaco-based operator, Jean-Philippe Anvam, was received in Kinshasa by President Félix Tshisekedi. At that meeting, officials said the satellite project was valued at $400 million. "The funds are available through a partner bank," Anvam said at the time.
No final contract has been disclosed so far, leaving its implementation uncertain.
In this context, the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Unicom Airnet adds a new dimension. Such agreements are generally non-binding frameworks that allow parties to define the technical and financial parameters of a project without committing to execution.
The Chinese group has strong industrial capabilities in telecommunications. Unicom Airnet describes itself as a satellite services platform backed by China Unicom, one of China's three major state-owned operators.
Congolese authorities have not specified whether this Chinese track replaces, complements or competes with the project led by Monacosat. The lack of official clarification creates uncertainty over the program’s direction, which is part of a broader digital sovereignty strategy.
The government is seeking to reduce dependence on foreign infrastructure by developing its own satellite capabilities, as connectivity needs grow rapidly.
Pierre Mukoko
Telecom tower operator Helios Towers on Tuesday announced a $100 million expansion program to extend its network coverage in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), aiming to improve access to telecommunications services, particularly in underserved areas.
The National Investment Promotion Agency (ANAPI) is backing the program under an agreement signed with Helios Towers DRC. The agency said it supports investment through an integrated framework covering all stages of a project, from design to implementation.
According to ANAPI, the expansion will span 23 provinces, including Kinshasa, Haut-Katanga, Kongo Central, Maniema, Ituri, Kasai Central, Kasai Oriental, Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu, Lualaba, Tanganyika, Equateur, Haut-Uele and Kasai.
Improving coverage and service adoption
The move comes as authorities seek to expand network coverage and boost telecom service adoption as part of their digital transformation agenda. In 2024, 2G, 3G and 4G networks covered 75%, 55% and 45% of the population respectively, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Mobile penetration stood at 44.3%, compared with 19.7% for internet use.
The company did not disclose detailed figures for the investment. Helios Towers operates by building, acquiring and managing shared telecom towers that host multiple operators. It provides passive infrastructure and energy services, including site acquisition, construction, maintenance, security and power management.
“Our infrastructure-sharing model helps MNOs expand and densify networks more quickly and at lower cost, while reducing emissions - accelerating digital inclusion for millions of people,” the company says on its website.
Expanding network coverage can drive adoption by improving both access and service quality. Extending infrastructure into rural and underserved areas enables first-time access to voice and internet services, while densifying networks in existing areas reduces congestion and improves reliability.
A model at the core of public strategy
The model is also supported by Congolese authorities and sits at the centre of the Universal Service Development Fund’s (FDSU) 2026-2035 strategy. Known as “TowerCo Lead,” the approach promotes tower companies that finance and deploy passive infrastructure — including towers, energy and backhaul — on an open-access basis. Mobile operators then install active equipment to deliver services. The goal is to connect nearly 68 million people, mainly in rural areas.
Authorities favour this approach for its economic efficiency, given the scale of the digital divide. According to the GSMA, the DRC has one of the world’s largest coverage gaps: 46% of the population lacks mobile broadband access, while 25% have no mobile coverage at all, including 2G.
The GSMA notes that expanding into so-called “white zones” requires sharply higher investment. Increasing coverage from 75% to 80% of the population requires about 150 new sites. Reaching 95% would require nearly 5,700 sites, while moving from 98% to 99% would need more than 2,000 additional sites. This makes extending coverage to remote areas particularly costly due to low population density.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s digital economy minister has introduced a new regulatory framework for certain digital activities and services in the country.
In an order signed on March 11, 2026, Digital Economy Minister Augustin Kibassa Maliba outlined the procedures for reviewing applications and granting authorizations for activities requiring prior approval under the Digital Code.
The order provides a transitional period until June 30, 2026, for affected operators to comply with the new requirements. From July 1, 2026, the provisions will take full effect.
The measure does not apply to all digital operators. It covers only activities and services that require authorization.
Affected entities include operators building data centers; qualified trust service providers (including electronic signatures, seals, timestamping, archiving, certification, website authentication, electronic registered mail and cryptology); application hosting providers; certain large digital platforms such as cloud services, online marketplaces, app stores, social networks, content-sharing platforms, online banking platforms, fintech firms, matchmaking platforms and search engines; as well as essential digital services.
During the transition period, responsibility for processing authorization applications has been assigned to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Congo (ARPTC). The regulator will verify the completeness and compliance of application files, assess applicants’ legal, technical, organizational and financial capacity, and issue a recommendation to the minister, who retains final decision-making authority.
Authorizations valid for five years
To obtain authorization, applicants must submit a file including legal, tax, technical and administrative documents, a detailed description of the relevant activities, and a business plan.
Authorizations are valid for five years and may be renewed. They do not exempt holders from complying with other applicable legal and regulatory obligations.
The order also includes administrative sanctions in cases of non-compliance, including fines, reduced validity periods, suspension or withdrawal of authorization. Operating without the required authorization may also expose operators to penalties under existing legislation.
Through this order, the government aims to implement the Digital Code and tighten oversight of segments of Congo’s digital economy deemed strategic or sensitive.
The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (ARMP) published a decision on March 4, 2026, concerning the contract for the acquisition and installation of equipment to digitize payments for the Infrastructure Development Tax, known as the Go-Pass. According to the document, the contract was awarded to Mayeles SAS for a total amount of $4.069 million including tax. The decision was signed on March 2, 2026 by Blaise Londole Lokoy, Director General of the Régie des Voies Aériennes (RVA), the state-owned company that manages airports in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The award remains provisional. Under Congolese public procurement rules, unsuccessful bidders have five business days to file an appeal. If no appeal is submitted, or once any challenges are reviewed, the award may become final and the contract can be signed.
The project stems from an international tender launched by the RVA on September 23, 2025, for the supply of machinery, hardware and software to digitize the collection of the airport tax. The initiative aims to replace the current collection system, which relies on paper coupons issued to passengers after payment.
Addressing systemic revenue leakage
The manual system has frequently been criticized for control failures. These include booklets with identical serial numbers in circulation, parallel coupon issuance channels, and persistent difficulties in tracking the total revenue generated by the tax.
During the Makutano Forum in November 2025, Transport Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba said two banks had submitted offers to finance the digitalization project. He presented the reform as a way to secure Go-Pass revenue by allowing passengers to pay electronically and obtain a QR code for airport inspections.
Under the planned system, electronic gates will allow travelers to scan their QR codes before accessing boarding areas. The mechanism is intended to ensure direct tracking of payments by the RVA.
Official documents do not provide detailed information about Mayeles SAS. However, public business registries indicate that a company with the same name, established in 2019 and registered in Créteil, France, has been listed as dissolved since July 8, 2025. That entity operated in the rental and leasing of personal and household goods. These details relate to the French-registered company and do not rule out the existence of other companies using the same name in other jurisdictions.
Authorities have not disclosed how many airports will be covered by the contract awarded to Mayeles SAS. The transport minister previously indicated that the digital Go-Pass system would first be deployed at the country’s international airports.
Timothée Manoke