The Democratic Republic of Congo is considering a discounted GoPass fee as one of the benefits of its planned Youth Advantage Card. Youth and Patriotic Awakening Minister Grace Émie Kutino said she met on June 29, 2026, with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Communications and Accessibility Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo as part of discussions on the project.

According to the minister’s statement, the meeting focused on expanding the benefits offered through the Youth Advantage Card, including a proposal to let young cardholders purchase the GoPass at a reduced rate. At this stage, the proposal remains under consideration, and the technical details have yet to be defined by the relevant teams.

The GoPass is a fee charged to airline passengers. It is currently set at $50 for international travelers and $10 for domestic passengers. If adopted, the discounted rate would become one of the first concrete benefits associated with the Youth Advantage Card.

Benefits Still Under Development

“Technical work will continue to determine how these benefits will be implemented and propose a concrete, innovative mechanism tailored to the realities of Congolese youth,” Grace Émie Kutino said in a statement issued after the meeting.

The initiative is part of the Youth and Patriotic Awakening Ministry’s broader efforts to bring partners on board for the Youth Advantage Card. In April, the ministry met with companies from several sectors to present the project and invited them to offer discounts, services, opportunities, and other benefits tailored to young people’s needs.

The Youth Advantage Card is intended to help young people access selected services at a lower cost through a network of public and private partners. The targeted sectors include transport, employment, entrepreneurship, healthcare, training, and leisure.

The project is also being discussed with other government agencies. On June 16, 2026, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said Grace Émie Kutino had met with Minister Ferdinand Massamba wa Massamba to discuss cooperation between the future card and the services of the National Employment Office (ONEM).

Digital Platform Planned

According to the ministry, the employment minister instructed the deputy director general of ONEM to work with the Youth Ministry on labor market information. The objective is to integrate job market data and employment opportunities into the platform, making the card a gateway to employment services and labor market information for young people.

The Ministry of Employment also said the Youth Advantage Card’s digital platform is expected to launch by September 2026, with the card planned to cost $5. Those details, however, have yet to be confirmed in the final framework, including the scope of eligible beneficiaries, access conditions, participating partners, and the benefits that will ultimately be offered.

The project took an important step in April 2026 when Grace Émie Kutino signed a memorandum of understanding in Japan with Gravity Group Ind. LLC, a member of Toppan Security, for the development of the Youth Advantage Card. The non-binding memorandum establishes a framework for cooperation rather than a final implementation agreement.

Timothée Manoke