The Democratic Republic of Congo will strengthen oversight of subcontracting practices in its mining sector. Starting from 2027, major companies operating in the country will be subject to annual audits designed to verify their compliance with local content rules and the opportunities granted to Congolese-owned businesses.
The announcement was made to Reuters by Beleshayi Kasanda Ted, Director General of the Regulatory Authority for Subcontracting in the Private Sector (ARSP). This measure comes as Kinshasa prepares for the entry into force, on 1 January 2027, of a new law on local content.
The legislation is to be supplemented by specific provisions for several sectors, including the mining industry. These texts will specifically detail the obligations applicable to companies, the penalties incurred in the event of non-compliance, as well as the procedures for compliance.
According to the Director General of the ARSP, the companies concerned may notably be subject to corrective plans that can extend over three years. The new mechanism is intended to allow authorities to monitor the conditions for awarding subcontracting contracts more regularly and to measure the proportion of expenditures effectively benefiting the Congolese entrepreneurial fabric.
Mining contracts at the heart of the control. The mining sector constitutes the main field of application for this policy.
The RDC is the world's leading producer of cobalt and one of Africa's leading producers of copper. Its industry attracts several international groups, including Glencore, Ivanhoe Mines, Eurasian Resources Group, CMOC and Zijin.
Beyond compliance monitoring, the reform aims to better direct the economic benefits of natural resource exploitation toward local businesses. The Congolese authorities are specifically seeking to increase the share of contracts, procurement, and services entrusted to companies controlled by nationals of the country.
The figures provided by the ARSP already demonstrate the scale of this activity. In 2025, 167, large companies declared 3,7 billion dollars in subcontracting contracts.
Approximately 3,1 billion dollars, or 83 %, were awarded to companies majority-owned by Congolese citizens. The mining industry alone accounts for 2,9 billion dollars of these contracts.
Strengthening audits could, however, increase the administrative burden on mining companies and their subcontractors. For Robert Malumba Kalombo, head of the Federation of Businesses of the Congo, the mechanism should not prioritize inspections and sanctions to the detriment of supporting local enterprises.
This issue refers directly to the capacity of Congolese companies to meet the requirements of large international groups. Mining companies seek suppliers capable of meeting often high technical, financial, environmental, and safety standards.
Increasing the share of contracts awarded to local companies therefore also depends on their ability to satisfy these requirements and to provide services that comply with industry standards. In this context, the question of the transparency of the beneficiaries of these contracts also constitutes a challenge.
The non-governmental organization Congo Is Not for Sale is calling for greater transparency regarding the decisions of the ARSP. Its spokesperson, Jean-Claud Mputue, specifically requests the publication of the identities of the beneficial owners of companies involved in subcontracting.
The organization fears that the strengthening of local content obligations could benefit companies with political connections rather than those possessing the necessary technical and financial capabilities. Claude Paul Tjeg.
Published on 29/09/26 16:43. The Editorial Staff