The Democratic Republic of Congo has taken steps to strengthen the collection of the electricity consumption levy, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Kinshasa on December 18, 2025.

The agreement was signed under the supervision of the minister of Water Resources and Electricity, Aimé Sakombi Molendo, and brings together the Directorate General of Administrative, Judicial, State and Participation Revenues (DGRAD), the national power utility SNEL, the National Agency for Electrification and Energy Services in Rural and Peri-Urban Areas (ANSER), and the ministry’s secretariat general.

According to a statement from ANSER, the partnership seeks to improve the supervision, collection, and control of the electricity consumption levy, which is intended to finance electrification projects through ANSER and the National Electrification Fund (FONER). The levy forms part of the institutional framework of the power sector and aims to support expanded electricity access in a country where the electrification rate remains below 22%.

In principle, the mechanism relies on contributions from large electricity consumers, particularly high- and medium-voltage users, to finance sector investments. However, implementation has faced recurring challenges, including difficulties in identifying calculation bases, weaknesses in collection procedures, and limited oversight, resulting in irregular revenue mobilization.

The new protocol seeks to address these shortcomings through the introduction of a single declaration form for the levy, placed under the authority of the supervising ministry. It also establishes a revenue-sharing formula, with proceeds split equally between the public treasury and ANSER.

Focus on transparency and control

Under the agreement, SNEL, designated as the legal taxpayer, will submit monthly levy declarations within regulatory deadlines to the ministry’s secretariat general and to ANSER, with copies sent to DGRAD for information. Each declaration must include a detailed schedule listing final customers, contact details, amounts due, and related technical data.

SNEL will also issue debit notes and collection notices and extend the levy to medium-voltage customers supplied through its own installations, in order to broaden the tax base.

The parties agreed to set up a technical coordination framework, including a joint commission and combined inspection missions. These bodies will be responsible for identifying non-compliant customers and recovering unpaid levies covering the period from October 2024 to July 2025.

Minister Sakombi Molendo said the protocol reflects an inter-institutional governance approach aimed at making levy collection more predictable, fair, and transparent. SNEL’s chief executive, Teddy Lwamba, said the utility would comply with the new procedures, while pointing to operational constraints linked to high- and medium-voltage customers.

DGRAD said it intends to further strengthen non-tax revenue mobilization and plans to propose an additional protocol to clarify recovery procedures on behalf of ANSER, including the role of the treasury receiver and regular reconciliation of financial data.

Ronsard Luabeya

Authorities in North Kivu launched several basic socio-economic infrastructure projects on December 18 in Beni, under the Stabilization and Recovery Project for Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (STAR-EST), with financial support from the World Bank.

The launch ceremony took place in Beni and was led by the province’s police vice-governor, Commissioner Louis Segond Karawa. Provincial STAR-EST coordinator Jean-Claude Kasomo said the first phase covers the construction of 26 social infrastructures, including 11 primary schools, three secondary schools, and 12 social centers.

The facilities are spread across 13 sites in the city of Beni, three sites in the Beni territory, four in Lubero territory, and six in Walikale territory. According to Kasomo, the program could later extend to areas currently under armed group control once those zones return to state authority.

Under its current roadmap, the STAR-EST program aims to deliver 130 basic socio-economic infrastructures across its North Kivu intervention area by 2027, subject to an improvement in security conditions. Authorities cited Masisi and Rutshuru as key territories where progress depends on greater stability.

The STAR-EST project carries total financing of $250 million from the World Bank. It became effective in November 2023 and runs through December 2027. The program seeks to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities through infrastructure rehabilitation, temporary job creation, and improved access to essential services.

Initially deployed in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, the program has recently expanded to other provinces, including Kinshasa and Kwango, where investments are underway in the rehabilitation of urban and rural roads.

Boaz Kabeya

Chinese mining group CMOC plans to raise its total investment in the Democratic Republic of Congo to $8 billion, the Ministry of Mines said.

The plan was announced on Dec. 16, 2025, during a meeting in Kinshasa between CMOC representatives and Mines Minister Louis Kabamba Watum, according to a statement from the ministry. CMOC operates the Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM) and Kisanfu Mining (KFM) projects in the country.

Details on the scope and timeline of the planned investments were not disclosed. CMOC said it intends to deepen its engagement in the DRC, citing the country’s mining potential and an improving business climate.

In October 2025, the group’s board approved a $1.08 billion expansion of the Kisanfu mine, aimed at increasing annual copper output by about 100,000 tonnes. Construction is expected to take two years, with commissioning targeted for late 2027.

CMOC acquired an 80% stake in Tenke Fungurume Mining for $2.65 billion in 2016 and a 95% stake in Kisanfu Mining for about $550 million in 2020. The group has since made additional investments to expand production capacity at both sites, bringing total spending to more than $3 billion, based on its annual reports.

During the meeting, CMOC also presented its annual production figures, reporting roughly 700,000 tonnes of copper from its Congolese operations in the 2025 financial year, making it one of the country’s leading copper producers.

The company flagged several operational challenges, including power supply shortages and encroachment by artisanal miners on some concessions, which have disrupted operations and fuelled local tensions.

Watum said coordinated solutions would be pursued with all stakeholders and stressed the need to involve local communities in addressing concession encroachments. He also urged CMOC to invest in local power generation to reduce reliance on electricity imports from neighbouring countries.

The talks also touched on recent cooperation agreements between the DRC and other international partners, including the United States. The minister said these partnerships do not pose a threat to foreign investors, including Chinese companies, or to existing Sino-Congolese cooperation.

Ronsard Luabeya

Airtel Africa said on Tuesday it signed a new partnership with SpaceX to roll out Starlink Direct-to-Cell technology, enabling satellite-to-smartphone connectivity across its 14 African markets, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The deal builds on an initial collaboration announced last May, which allowed Airtel to distribute Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet through conventional ground terminals. Taken together, the two agreements cover both fixed satellite broadband and direct satellite-to-mobile connectivity.

Under the new arrangement, Airtel subscribers using compatible smartphones will be able to access satellite connectivity in areas without terrestrial network coverage. The service will rely on the Starlink satellite constellation, the largest in the world by 4G geographic coverage. The agreement also includes the deployment of a new generation of satellites capable of delivering speeds up to 20 times faster than current systems.

The service is scheduled to launch in 2026, initially offering text messaging and selected data services. Its rollout will be subject to regulatory approvals in each country.

In the DRC, conditions are already favourable for the introduction of Starlink services. Since May 2025, SpaceX’s local subsidiary has been authorised to operate in the country after receiving an operating licence from the Congolese Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPTC). The licence allows Starlink DRC S.A. to provide satellite internet services in the local market.

With these partnerships, Airtel Africa becomes the first operator on the continent to offer both Starlink access via terminals and direct satellite-to-mobile connectivity. In the DRC, where large parts of the territory remain outside terrestrial network coverage, this dual capability gives Airtel a significant operational advantage in extending connectivity to remote areas and strengthening its service offering. The move is expected to reinforce its position in the strategic mobile internet segment.

According to the ARPTC Observatory, mobile internet generated $594 million in revenue by the end of June 2025, accounting for nearly 52.7% of total sector revenue. In the second quarter, the number of active users reached 34.5 million, corresponding to a penetration rate of 30.79%, up 0.81 percentage points. Data consumption rose by 26.91% compared with the first quarter of 2025.

Financially, Airtel leads the market with a 41.6% revenue share, ahead of Orange at 29.5%, Vodacom at 24.7% and Africell at 4.1%. By subscriber share, the market is more fragmented: Vodacom leads with 36.4%, followed by Airtel at 30.8%, Orange at 29.8% and Africell at 3%.

Boaz Kabeya