Discusses the legal requirements for selling to the host government, including whether the government has agreed to abide by the WTO Government Procurement Agreement or is a party to a government procurement chapter in a U.S. FTA. Specifies areas where there are opportunities.
Last Published: 7/20/2017

Sales to the GDRC have been a major source of revenue for many businesses operating in the DRC given the large contribution of the government and parastatals to the economy, the dominance of large trading houses, and the tendency for a large private sector to purchase directly from traditional external vendors.

Project work can be difficult to obtain, because government ministries and parastatals have ill-defined and overlapping responsibilities, procurement procedures are unclear or non-existent, key personalities play pivotal roles, and financing is often difficult to obtain.  Businesses therefore often pursue deals via specific ministries, parastatals, or the office of the President.  Patience and personal connections appear to be businesses’ most valuable assets in such dealings.  The Parliament passed a new public procurement law in April 2010 and has begun implementing the law, which aims to greatly increase transparency in government procurement, however corruption continues to be a major problem and few improvements are evident as a result of the change in law.

The Autrorité de Régulations des Marchés Publics (ARMP), the regulatory authority for public procurement, is one of the institutions set up under the new public procurement law.  ARMP is a public institution under the authority of the Prime Minister’s office.  Its principal goal is regulating and auditing public procurement throughout the DRC.  The Department of Public Procurement (DGCMP), under the Ministry of Budget, is responsible for reviewing and approving bids on all public procurement programs.  The World Bank finances its funded projects through several Congolese agencies, including the Bureau Central de Coordination (BECECO), Unite de Coordination du Project (UCOP) and Central Office for Infrastructure Contracts (BCMI).

U.S. Commercial Service Liaison Offices at the Multilateral Development Banks (African Development Bank, World Bank)

The Commercial Service maintains Commercial Liaison Offices in each of the main Multilateral Development Banks, including the African Development Bank and the World Bank. These institutions lend billions of dollars in developing countries on projects aimed at accelerating economic growth and social development by reducing poverty and inequality, improving health and education, and advancing infrastructure development. The Commercial Liaison Offices help American businesses learn how to get involved in bank-funded projects, and advocate on behalf of American bidders.

Web Resources
Commercial Liaison Office to the African Development Bank
Commercial Liaison Office to the World Bank
 

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.