Kinshasa, July 16, 2026 (TOP243NEWS) – Deliberations on the report of the Senate’s Economic, Financial and Good Governance Committee (ECOFIN) regarding the 2026 Revised Finance Bill sparked extensive debate in the upper house of Parliament.
Among the most notable contributions was that of Senator Jean Bamanisa Saïdi, who raised several substantive concerns about the consistency of the committee’s analysis and conclusions.
At the outset, the senator commended the ECOFIN Committee for completing its work within a particularly short timeframe, while stressing that certain sections of the report required clarification before its adoption.
Jean Bamanisa questioned the decision to maintain the real GDP growth forecast in the macroeconomic assumptions while the nominal GDP growth rate was not treated in the same manner.
He also pointed to a discrepancy between the average exchange rate contained in the draft bill and that presented in the committee’s report, calling for harmonized figures to ensure the credibility of the budget document.
The senator further challenged the committee’s assertion that it had « created » a fund dedicated to financing the health sector. According to him, such a mechanism already exists through the Health Promotion Fund, which finances several public health programs. He urged the committee to revise the wording to avoid any misunderstanding.
On public revenue, Jean Bamanisa argued that the report contained an apparent contradiction. While the committee stated that it had identified no additional revenue, it nevertheless referred to more than 320 billion Congolese francs in additional resources.
In his view, this wording should be revised to accurately reflect the reality of the proposed budget adjustments.
The senator representing Kisangani also questioned the overall focus of the committee’s work, arguing that it had devoted more attention to hearings with revenue-collecting agencies, state-owned enterprises and public institutions than to identifying new fiscal space to strengthen priority sectors such as health, education and security.
Jean Bamanisa concluded by calling for a report that more closely reflects the concerns raised by senators during the general debate, particularly the need to mobilize additional revenue while safeguarding budget allocations for key social and strategic sectors.
The debate continued with contributions from other senators, covering issues including tax incentives for inputs used in local cement production, the mobilization of external revenue, and mechanisms for financing public investment.
The ECOFIN Committee’s report is expected to be reviewed further, with responses and possible amendments, before its final adoption by the Senate.
Mike Pakoto | TOP243NEWS