Kinshasa, April 27th, 2021 (CPA) .- National deputies invested the Sama Lukongo government on Monday after adopting its program during a plenary session chaired by the President of the National Assembly Christophe Mboso N’kodia Mpwanga, in the hall of the People’s Palace in Lingwala commune. Out of 412 national MPs present at the plenary session, 410 voted for the approval of the program and 2 others abstained. Previously, the Prime Minister had presented to the national deputies the program of his government, which is articulated around 15 pillars as well as some avenues of solutions in order to make the DRC a « strong, prosperous and United States on the way to its development » . “This program stems from the Vision of the President of the Republic, the political consultations he organized in November 2020 and the will of the Government of the Sacred Union of the Nation, to translate this vision into public policies, that is to say actions, measures and concrete strategies intended to achieve the objectives of the development of the Nation summarized, in particular in the National Strategic Plan for Development (PNSD), ”he said. The 15 pillars are grouped into 4 major sectors of national life, namely, politics, justice and public administration; economy and finance; reconstruction of the country; and social. During the debate, MEPs made recommendations to enrich this program. These include MP François Nzekuye who suggested that the DDR program be managed at the level of the provinces concerned, as well as others who proposed the abolition of wage zones. The debate was cut short on the proposal of several other deputies including Alphonse Ngoyi Kasanji and Lucain Kasongo in order to allow the inauguration of the government and consequently, to gain time for it to get down to work. In his closing remarks, the President of the National Assembly congratulated the invested government, while recommending that it prioritize the interest of the population, maximize state revenues and find solutions to the problem of national security. . The Prime Minister was accompanied to the National Assembly by his government team made up of 56 members appointed on April 12. The Sama Lukode government replaces that headed by Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba, who was dismissed by the national deputies.
Government program valued at USD 36 billion for the period from 2021-2023
Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde has estimated the overall cost of his government’s program for the period 2021-2023 at 36 billion USD, or 13 billion USD per year. This program which was presented Monday before the inauguration of the Government in the National Assembly contains, according to him, all the actions of the government requiring means and resources consisting in investing in our economy, with as main objective, the revival of the economic activity, in a context characterized by the perverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. « However, its overall funding over the three years shows a gap of 14 billion USD », explained the Prime Minister. The objective pursued, according to the head of government, is to increase the annual state budget to an average of 12 billion until 2023. “But, for the current fiscal year, given its already enacted budget of $ 6.6 billion, meeting revenue growth targets and requirements for consistency and compliance with the law relating to public finances will ultimately lead to the drafting of an amending finance law, ”he said. According to him, the financing of the gap will be done thanks to the measures of increase of the receipts reinforced by the better prospect of the economic situation.
« The financing of the gap will take place thanks to measures to increase revenue reinforced by the better outlook for the economic situation which brings growth to 0.8% in 2020, on the basis of the achievements at the end of September of the same year, against forecasts initials at the end of 2020 of -1.7%. This improvement in economic forecasts for 2021 is linked in particular to the increase in the prices of copper, tin and cobalt currently recorded on the world market, « he said.
Ending insecurity in the east of the country … During the presentation of his government’s program, Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde Kyenge promised that his team intends to carry out actions that will definitively put an end to the atrocities raging in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South -Kivu.
Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde
He assured to strengthen the authority of the State throughout the national territory by building the capacities of the defense and security system, eradicating all the armed groups scouring the east and north-east of the country as well. promote and consolidate the democratic rule of law established since the Sun City Comprehensive and Inclusive Agreement. His government, he added, will also strive to strictly prohibit the incorporation of rebels into the regular army and the police, and not to accept any clause to this effect in any peace agreement. , to take a permanent instruction prohibiting this incorporation, to eradicate the armed groups operating in the country, to guarantee the socio-economic reintegration of demobilized young people through a series of vocational training courses as well as to ensure their vocational training, in particular through the INPP and merge the DDR and STAREC programs for the reintegration of the demobilized into economic and public interest activities, far from the profession of arms.
Reassures that elections will be held in 2023 …
The population census will not be an obstacle to the holding of the 2023 elections, reassured Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde. To meet this electoral challenge, he promised to constitute budgetary provisions and also to provide in the budget of each year the necessary credits. Beyond these prerequisites, the Head of the new government stressed that the reform of the electoral law as well as of the law on the organization and functioning of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are worth their weight in gold. Reacting to the fear of the population about the organization of the census on the pretext that it could block the road to the elections, the Prime Minister promises to carry out all the operations of census and identification of the population within ideal deadlines allowing the timely extraction of the general population identification file and the electoral register necessary for the activities of the INEC .
Improving the living conditions of the population, one of its priorities …
In addition, Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde Kyenge stressed that his government is committed to improving the living conditions of the Congolese population, particularly in the areas of housing, health, education and employment.
To achieve this, his government intends to enter the necessary credits in the budget and attract public and private investment in this sector. It intends to develop and implement a Support Program for the Modernization of Villages (PAMOVI) and ensure the construction of housing in accordance with this Program, build social housing across the Republic in strict compliance with the development plan of the territory and operationalize the National Housing Fund (FONHAB) and the Congolese Real Estate Promotion Agency (ACOPRIM).
Implementation of universal health coverage…
In the field of health, his government plans to rehabilitate and build health infrastructures and provide them with medical equipment according to a standardized approach, to increase by 50% the availability of quality essential and generic drugs throughout the territory. national, to gradually establish compulsory health insurance for the informal sector with the pooling of resources with a view to equity as well as to improve the fight against the major endemics (tuberculosis, malaria, HIV-AIDS, etc.) and epidemics (measles, cholera, Ebola, COVID-19), etc. His government, he said, intends to organize general states of education, training and research with a view to reforming the system of primary, secondary, higher and university education by involving the Centers and Research institutes. In the area of employment, it plans to promote decent work for sustainable, equitable, united and inclusive development.
Consider the construction of modern stadiums in all provinces …
The Prime Minister, Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde also informed the national deputies that his government intends to initiate the works of rehabilitation and construction of modern stadiums in each province of the DRC. According to him, said work will be initiated in anticipation of the organization of major international sporting events.
“The government intends to continue the construction of municipal stadiums in the city of Kinshasa and extend the project to other cities and obtain approval by CAF and FIFA of the stadiums meeting the standards required in order to organize competitions. regional, continental and international likely to promote tourism and generate revenue for the economy, ”he said. The government team also intends to promote the creation of sports training centers throughout the Republic. It is a question, he specified, of identifying and erecting by territory an omnisport sports center for the theoretical and practical training of young people, promoting and developing sports activities in schools and universities through the training and construction of infrastructures as well as to organize and promote interprovincial sports competitions with a view to the detection of talents and the constitution of a data bank of the national sports elite.
Granting of diplomatic passports to Congolese artists …
In addition, Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde indicated that his government team intends to grant diplomatic passports to all Congolese who best sell Congolese culture through their talents. In the same context, he continued, his government will monitor the procedure for recognizing the Congolese Rumba as an element of the intangible heritage of UNESCO. « The government will organize the Congolese grand prize for culture and great artistic works, create by decree a strategic center for national ethical culture and create an academy for the learning, promotion and protection of national languages », a – he concluded.
