Thursday April 4, 2024 in Brazzaville, Mr. Jean-Baptiste ONDAYE Minister of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Congo, opened then closed, in his capacity as co-President, the work of the 7th session of the Steering Committee and Monitoring (COS), governance body of the Debt Reduction - Development Contract (C2D) which links France and Congo.

The purpose of this meeting, which saw the participation of the co-President of the COS, in this case Madam Ambassador of France to Congo, Claire BODONYI, was, in particular, to take stock of the 13 projects carried out and currently being implemented in the Republic of Congo, representing a total amount of financing of €229 million (or 150.2 billion FCFA) for the benefit of Congolese people.

These projects include the construction of Education, Training and Learning Centers (CEFA); the construction of the National Institute of Social Work (INTS); the rehabilitation of the drinking water supply system at the Brazzaville Hospital and University Center (CHU); the construction of the South Corniche Road in Brazzaville, etc.

In this year 2024, dedicated year of youth by the Congolese head of state, the French Ambassador placed emphasis on the Project of “5 Education, Training and Apprenticeship Centers (CEFA) which have been renovated, in close collaboration with partner companies, and which welcome 1,000 young people per year in training, also opening the prospect of a sixth CEFA in Boko (in the Pool department) on rural professions.

This year of youth was also launched under the best auspices, with the signing by the Minister of Economy and Finance and the French Development Agency (AFD), in the presence of the French Ambassador to Congo, of the C2D Financing Agreement, for an amount of €7.5 million (i.e. FCFA 4.9 billion), supplemented by a delegated grant from the European Union (EU) of €2.8 million from the MOSALA project, aimed the strengthening of employment policy and, more particularly, the integration into the world of work of several thousand young people in promising sectors.

For his part, the Congolese Minister of Economy and Finance stressed “the importance of supporting the proper execution of projects, and above all, of ensuring the sustainability of their effects, by mobilizing operating or maintenance budgetsnecessary for works and infrastructures built and renovated within the framework of C2D”. He also called for strengthening the communication of the Franco-Congolese partnership, supported by the C2D system, by highlighting the Congolese, whose living conditions are improved thanks to these projects.

The wish of Minister Jean-Baptiste ONDAYE, relating to the mobilization of budgets, is in line with one of the three recommendations below made by the participants.

Participants’ recommendations and decision

The participants in the 7th session of the COS recommended:

First, to make available the maintenance and operating budgets for infrastructure and other equipment financed under the C2D. Because, according to them, the mobilization of appropriate operating and maintenance budgets is essential for the proper functioning and sustainability of the infrastructures financed within the framework of C2D projects (CEFA, INTS, CHU, Route de la Corniche).

Then, to accelerate the implementation deadlines of certain projects currently underway. Indeed, the implementation times for C2D projects have generally been improved in recent months, particularly since the establishment of project monitoring teams at the Ministry of the Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Finance. land use planning, infrastructure and road maintenance/General delegation for major works.

Finally, to improve the visibility of projects financed on C2D. As such, the participants invited the Ministry of Economy and Finance to take all necessary measures, in conjunction with the communications agency recruited with C2D funding, to ensure greater visibility of the impacts projects financed on C2D.

Regarding the decision, it focused on the reallocation of resources available on the C2D account to the BEAC. It is worded as follows:

“Given the strong social impact of the TELEMA project and the uncommitted amount available on the C2D account at the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) to date, which amounts to €3.17 million, the COS decides to allocate these resources to the TELEMA project, in order to further support project leaders for the development of income-generating activities.

Note that the 7th session of the Steering and Monitoring Committee (COS) of the Debt Reduction - Development Contract (C2D) was attended by two Congolese ministers, namely: Ms. Delphine Edith Emmanuel ADOUKI, (of Higher Education, of scientific research and technological innovation) and Irène Marie Cécile MBOUKOU KIMBATSA (Social Affairs and Humanitarian Action), as well as the Deputy Mayor of the city of Brazzaville, Mr. Dieudonné BANTSIMBA.

The Communication Unit of the Ministry of Economy and Finance

Photo credit: B2B Communication