The Democratic Republic of Congo has introduced new vehicle registration plates, touted as a modernization and securitization tool for public revenue. The plates feature a QR code and improved tracking capabilities. However, concerns have emerged over the cost to users and the process that led to a single operator being awarded the contract. According to Kanyaka La Quinzaine, the cost of a new registration is $128, including $115 for the plate and $9 in RTNC fees, plus varying bank charges.
An investigation by Top Congo FM found that some users have paid between $350 and $900 for the new registration plates, with no public tariff grid available to justify these amounts. The scope of this practice and the destination of any excess funds remain unclear. The high cost of the registration plates has raised concerns among citizens and sparked calls for greater transparency in the process.
The contract for the registration plates was initially launched in March 2022 as a public-private partnership, with three national zones and up to six potential winners. Six companies were prequalified, but by April 2024, only three were provisionally selected: Castillo Valere, Immo Serkas & Mühlbauer, and Ray Group. Notably, Ray Group was not among the initially prequalified companies.
The procedure was declared "infructuous" in 2025 and relaunched as a restricted market for the same three companies, for 100,000 pairs of plates. The initial project envisioned up to one million plates worth $65 million, but this was later reduced. In July 2025, the Council of State rejected a complaint from Polish company Utal, and Castillo Valere was awarded the contract for $7.4 million.
Castillo Valere's general director, Mathias Claes, has stated that the procedure was "rigorously transparent". However, concerns remain over the process that led to a single contractor being awarded the contract. Questions have been raised over why the market initially designed for multiple operators ended up with a single executor and why some provisional awardees did not appear in the final contract.
The distribution of the $128 paid by motorists is not publicly established, and the actual revenue received by the state is not published. The 2026 budget anticipates 5.15 billion Congolese francs from the sale of plates. While there is no conclusion of organized diversion of funds, there are calls for clarification on the real cost of the reform, financial flows, and contract award conditions.
The controversy surrounding the new registration plates has sparked concerns over transparency and accountability in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The government is urged to provide clarity on the costs and financial flows associated with the new registration plates.
Key points
- The new Congolese vehicle registration plates have sparked controversy over their high cost, which ranges from $128 to $900.
- A single contractor, Castillo Valere, was awarded the contract for 100,000 pairs of plates worth $7.4 million.
- Concerns remain over the transparency and accountability of the process that led to the awarding of the contract.
