Democratic Republic of Congo Deputy Prime Minister for the Civil Service Jean-Pierre Lihau has signed an accountability agreement with secretaries-general, inspectors-general and directors-general as part of a public administration reform drive.
The agreement formally places responsibility for workforce management on the heads of public administrations. Effective immediately, they are required to ensure that staffing levels align with approved budget positions. The move aims to prevent a repeat of large numbers of unregistered but salaried employees.
Speaking on Top Congo on Feb. 19, 2026, Lihau said the initiative follows the identification of more than 87,000 “new units” (NU) since control procedures were launched in 2022.
The term “new units” refers to public employees who were not recorded in the state’s official administrative files but were already receiving salaries or bonuses. According to the minister, their high number has added pressure to the public payroll in recent years.
He said 87,956 such cases had been identified across all public administrations. He warned that similar situations could now result in sanctions against responsible officials, including dismissal.
The measure forms part of a broader regularization and payroll integration process. In July 2025, the Civil Service said it had identified more than 500,000 employees not yet integrated into the payroll system, of whom 180,000 had been regularized. A new integration phase for the third quarter of 2025 was announced, with lists published on the Civil Service’s official website.
The reform also relies on Administrative Circular No. 006 of Sept. 10, 2025, which sets out procedures for certifying “new units.” It establishes a review process led by a working group tasked with verifying appointment documents and the availability of funded positions.
The initiative is part of President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo’s broader government reform effort aimed at strengthening transparency and control over the public payroll.
Boaz Kabeya
