Recent economic measures taken by the Congolese government to ease the burden on imports of basic necessities will have a significant cost for the State, declared this Monday Daniel Mukoko Samba, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy, during a joint press conference with the Minister of Communication and Media, Patrick Muyaya.
These measures, which aim to reduce the cost price of essential products for households, involve a reduction in tax revenue, in particular through the reduction of customs duties by 50% and the elimination of certain fees, such as the IT remuneration fee, for nine groups of products.
“This decision has a cost, because until now, the State collected these resources. Today, it has decided to no longer collect them,” explained Daniel Mukoko Samba. He specified that the government is asking public institutions that depended on these resources to make internal efforts, either by reducing their costs or by seeking other means of financing. “Between keeping public institutions alive to the detriment of the entire population, the choice is clear: the government has prioritized the general interest to restore purchasing power to Congolese households,” he added.
The minister also announced that these measures will come into force quickly, in the form of a decree issued by the Prime Minister, in order to ensure their implementation by the relevant public services. However, he acknowledged that stocks of products imported before the implementation of these measures are already present in the country and have paid the full costs.
“This week, as Minister of National Economy, I will meet with importers to agree on how the government’s decisions will produce their effects as soon as possible,” said Daniel Mukoko Samba. He added that current stocks will be certified by minutes to ensure that they are not exaggerated, which will make it possible to differentiate between old stocks and new ones, which will benefit from the reductions in levies.
These measures are intended to directly relieve Congolese households by making basic necessities more affordable, but they also represent a financial sacrifice for the State, which will have to adapt to a reduction in its tax revenues.
/actualité.cd
2024-08-14 17:24:23
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