- DR Congo awarded a $7.46 million contract to Belgian firm Castillo Valere to supply 100,000 pairs of license plates.
- The government set vehicle registration fees at up to $115, with a 50% surcharge for corporate entities.
- Authorities plan to roll out the plate change nationwide from late December 2026.
On January 6, 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo implemented a new vehicle license plate system. Belgian company Castillo Valere will manufacture the plates.
Documents reviewed by Bankable showed that authorities awarded the supply contract to Castillo Valere in August 2025. The contract totaled $7,456,416 for 100,000 pairs of plates, implying a unit cost of $74.5 per pair.
Authorities awarded the contract following a public tender process that sparked debate over procedural compliance and transparency.
However, market participants described Castillo Valere as a reference supplier in Belgium’s license plate market. The company already operates in Africa, including in Côte d’Ivoire and Mauritania.
Officials from the Ministry of Finance, cited by Top Congo FM, said the Prime Minister must still validate the full technical specifications of the new plates by decree before they carry full legal effect.
Meanwhile, the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI) said the new plate was “designed in line with international standards.”
In 2023, the Public Expenditure Observatory (ODEP) and the Congolese League Against Corruption (LICOCO) accused the previous plate supplier of producing plates using Congo-Brazzaville’s country code “CGO.”
The organizations said the correct code for the Democratic Republic of Congo was “COD.”
Controversies
Tax authorities said the reform aimed to improve driver security, standardize the national vehicle registration system, and strengthen police road controls. Authorities also said the reform would increase state revenue.
A Finance Ministry decree signed in November 2025 set registration-related fees at $115 for a first registration, $72 for a plate change, $24 for vehicle ownership transfer, $54 for a duplicate pair of plates, $30 for a duplicate half-pair, $24 for a duplicate registration certificate, and $24 for an address change on the certificate. The decree increased all fees by 50% when operations involved legal entities.
The launch of the new plates triggered strong reactions among Congolese citizens. Critics questioned the administration’s capacity to deliver the new plates, as authorities still struggled to fulfill previous orders.
Observers said Castillo Valere now faced pressure to demonstrate its ability to produce and deliver plates quickly.
Owners of existing plates also challenged the legality of the operation. They cited the Congolese Highway Code, which prohibits re-registration of vehicles already in circulation.
However, Finance Ministry officials said the process involved only a plate replacement, not a re-registration, and did not alter the original vehicle registration data. Authorities said this phase would begin from late December 2026.
This article was initially published in French by Timothée Manoke
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
