The National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has declared the 2027 budget bill receivable, following a vote that took place after two days of debates. The bill, presented by the government, outlines the country's budget for 2027, with a total value of 56.930 billion Congolese francs. This represents a nearly 12% increase compared to the revised 2026 budget. The bill was approved after the Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa Tuluka, addressed concerns raised by national deputies.
The 2027 budget bill was evaluated and presented in balance between revenues and expenditures. It represents almost triple the budgetary projections established at the beginning of the first five-year term of President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi. Following its receivability, the bill has been transmitted to the Economic and Financial Commission and Budgetary Control (Écofin) of the National Assembly. The commission has been given a 20-day deadline to thoroughly examine the bill and make any necessary amendments.
The President of the National Assembly, Aimé Boji Sangara, announced that the 20-day deadline for the Écofin commission to examine the bill starts from November 2 and ends on November 21, 2026. He also instructed the commission's bureau to establish a strict calendar for the examination of the bill, taking into account the deadline of seven days granted to the commission for the in-depth examination of the bill on the accountability of the 2025 financial exercise.
The Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa Tuluka, welcomed the quality of the exchanges and the relevance of the concerns raised by the national deputies. She stated that the government considers these concerns as the legitimate expression of the aspirations of the Congolese population, represented by the deputies. The Prime Minister also provided clarifications on the different concerns expressed by the deputies, which were grouped around the triple questioning of the financial, social, and territorial credibility of the budget.
According to the Prime Minister, the 2027 budget bill forecasts a 5.8% economic growth, compared to 5.6% in 2026, and a 15.5% increase in current revenues, supported by fiscal reforms and improved public resource mobilization. The bill also provides for the regularization of 50,000 unpaid public agents, the retirement of 30,000 agents, and an allocation of 825 billion Congolese francs for the continuation of the Local Development Program of the 145 territories (PDL-145T).
Judith Suminwa Tuluka emphasized the need to translate budgetary projections into tangible results, stating that a budget is not just a document of projections and expenditure authorizations, but a contract of trust between the State and the people. The examination of the 2027 budget bill follows that of the bill on the accountability of the 2025 financial exercise, as per the provisions of the Public Finance Law (LOFIP).
The next steps in the process include the examination of the report by the Écofin commission, followed by the receivability of the report and the adoption of the bill. Once adopted, the bill will be transmitted to the Senate for examination and adoption in a second reading, before being sent to the Head of State for promulgation.
Key points
- The 2027 budget bill is valued at 56.930 billion Congolese francs, representing a nearly 12% increase compared to the revised 2026 budget.
- The Economic and Financial Commission and Budgetary Control (Écofin) has been given a 20-day deadline to examine the bill.
- The 2027 budget bill forecasts a 5.8% economic growth and a 15.5% increase in current revenues.
