Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo — October 30, 2025 —
The Carter Center has called on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to modernize and streamline its mining tax system to more effectively capture revenue from strategic minerals such as copper and cobalt, and to reinvest those funds into national development and community welfare.
The recommendations were issued during a policy forum held on the sidelines of the 9th DRC Alternative Mining Indaba, where civil society leaders, policymakers, and industry experts gathered to assess the country’s mining fiscal framework. The session was facilitated by Baby Matabishi, Fabien Mayani, and Ismaël Tutu, and supported by findings from a recent Carter Center study with field research conducted in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, and Kolwezi.
Key Challenges Identified
Participants noted several factors limiting optimal revenue collection in the sector, including:
- Poor coordination between tax agencies and government authorities
- Difficulties implementing certain tax instruments, including the 2018 excess-profits tax
- Fragmented tax documentation, overstaffed institutions, and a lack of digital systems
Proposed Solutions
Forum attendees recommended a series of reforms aimed at improving mining revenue collection and ensuring inclusive development:
- Comprehensive reform and digitalization of tax systems
- Greater transparency and public participation in revenue oversight
- Sustained investment in geological exploration to secure long-term mineral supply
- Removal of redundant taxes and adoption of strategic long-term fiscal policy
- Capacity building for tax officials and deployment of modern analytical tools
- Establishment of a centralized mining revenue one-stop shop
- Allocation of mining royalties to development projects, including through equity participation in mining ventures
Toward Shared Prosperity
These reforms seek to ensure that the DRC’s globally significant copper and cobalt resources contribute meaningfully to national growth, local community development, and improved governance across the mining sector.
The Carter Center emphasized that a modern, well-coordinated tax regime is vital to securing fair returns from mineral wealth and ensuring long-term sustainability and transparency in the industry.
