The National Road Maintenance Fund (FONER) has launched its 2026 collection campaign for the Annual Axle Load Fee (RACE). The announcement was made in a statement signed on June 8, 2026, by FONER Director General Pierre Bundoki Ndongala.

Officially launched on May 28, 2026, across the Democratic Republic of Congo, the campaign targets economic operators and owners of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of more than 3.5 tonnes. It forms part of the mechanisms used to finance maintenance of the national road network.

Established under Law No. 08/006-A of July 7, 2008, which created FONER, the Annual Axle Load Fee is governed by interministerial decrees issued on March 6, 2009, setting the rates, amounts and collection procedures for the fund's resources. Applicable fees are set at $185 for two-axle vehicles, $270 for three-axle vehicles and $340 for articulated vehicles. Taxpayers have until June 29, 2026, to make their payments.

FONER is encouraging taxpayers to use its online filing platform. Forms can also be downloaded from the agency's website or collected in person at its headquarters in Kinshasa, provincial offices and branches across the country.

Payments must be made through approved channels designated by FONER. The statement said no cash payments will be accepted. After the deadline, late-payment penalties and surcharges will be applied in accordance with existing legislation.

High Funding Needs

The campaign comes at a time when funding requirements for road maintenance continue to exceed available resources. During the 11th edition of the Expo Béton forum, held at the end of May, Victor Tumba Tshikela, director general of the Office des Voiries et Drainage (Urban Roads and Drainage Authority), highlighted the scale of the funding needed to maintain urban roads, national road infrastructure and agricultural feeder roads.

According to him, the combined annual funding requirements of the Urban Roads and Drainage Authority, the Office des Routes (Roads Authority) and the Office des Voies de Desserte Agricole (Agricultural Access Roads Authority) are estimated at about $375 million. FONER, however, typically generates only around $150 million annually, although its revenue recently reached an exceptional level of about $200 million.

This gap of nearly $200 million illustrates the fragility of the road maintenance financing model in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the absence of sufficient resources, agencies responsible for maintenance are often forced to prioritize periodic repairs and short-term interventions rather than continuous maintenance aimed at preserving infrastructure over the long term.

Limited Revenue

FONER's 2026 budget forecasts confirm these financial pressures. The institution expects total resources of $250.26 million, including $230.57 million in ordinary revenue.

The main source of funding remains the fuel levy, which is expected to generate $208.26 million, representing more than 90% of ordinary revenue.

The Annual Axle Load Fee, which is the focus of the current campaign, is expected to generate about $2.81 million in 2026. Its contribution therefore remains limited within FONER's overall revenue structure, even though it directly targets heavy vehicles, which are more likely to contribute to deterioration of the road network.

In its 2026 investment budget, FONER plans to allocate $56.3 million to the Roads Authority, $18.64 million to the Urban Roads and Drainage Authority, and $14.77 million to the Agricultural Access Roads Authority. Together, the three institutions are expected to receive about $89.7 million.

That amount remains far below the annual funding needs estimated by the director general of the Urban Roads and Drainage Authority. It shows that, despite the diversification of revenue sources and the anticipated increase in revenue, financing road maintenance remains one of the main challenges facing the infrastructure sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Timothée Manoke