Fonds de promotion de l'industrie (FPI), a public institution that finances industrial projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has awarded KPMG RDC a consulting contract to restructure its loan portfolio. The decision, signed on April 2, 2026, by Director General Hervé Claude Ntumba Batukonke, awards the contract for $138,729 before tax, or $160,925.64 including tax.

The award notice does not detail the exact scope of the mission assigned to KPMG. It states that the contract follows a procurement process launched in 2024, involving several no-objection clearances from Direction générale du contrôle des marchés publics covering the procurement plan, shortlist, request for proposals, and technical and financial evaluations. KPMG's offer, dated March 6, 2024, indicates that the process lasted at least two years.

Debt recovery a priority

The award comes as FPI has brought debt recovery back to the forefront. When he took office in August 2025, the director general identified loan repayment as a key priority of his tenure, arguing that the institution's ability to finance new industrial projects depends in part on recovering funds already lent.

In a statement issued at the time, FPI said all receivables would be identified and recovered, and pledged to establish a mechanism to ensure full repayment of both existing and future loans. It added that non-repayment was undermining its core mission of supporting industrialization.

This is not a new issue. In March 2020, then-Industry Minister Julien Paluku said about $150 million was already outstanding and gave borrowers 48 hours before forced recovery measures would be triggered.

The contract award to KPMG therefore reflects FPI’s ongoing effort to better structure the management of its loan portfolio, as debt recovery becomes a central lever to restore financial flexibility and support new industrial projects.

Timothée Manoke