Not an AVZ article, but the mining & oil contract signed with the Govt & Gertler is expected to be published tomorrow - will be an interesting read.
DRC: Announced for this Friday, Kinshasa postpones the publication of the mining and oil contract signed with Israeli Gertler
November 25, 2022
Initially announced for Friday, November 25,
the publication of the mining and oil contract signed between the Tshisekedi administration and Israeli billionaire Gertler, is postponed to next week. "Properably for this November 30," learns MINES.CD from sources close to the file.
According to the Congolese Minister of Finance who announced for this Friday the publication of the content of this deal, this agreement is in the finalization phase between the Congolese state and Ventora, which will allow its publication incessantly.
"With regard to the contract with Ventora (Gertler), this contract is in the finalization phase. There had been a first agreement initialled, but which was the subject of additional negotiations. In the coming days, it should be made public by Friday, "said Nicolas Kazadi.
He added: "In principle, in the coming days, it will be made public. We hope to do it before the end of the week, as planned. And we will turn the page on this contract to move forward.
This will allow the country to recover its mining assets."
In addition, the Congolese government had justified the non-publication of the content of this agreement by the confidentiality clauses surrounding it. A decision that went against the provisions of the mining code that require the publication of all mining contracts, their annexes and endorsements in the Official Journal and on the website of the Ministry of Mines within sixty days of the date of their signature.
According to the Congolese authorities, this agreement has allowed the State to recover mining and oil assets, estimated at $2 billion in exchange for abandoning prosecutions.
In July 2022, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Congolese civil society reacted insistently by requesting the publication of the memorandum of understanding signed between Dan Gertler and the Congolese government. This, despite his (IMF) assessment of the government organizing a two-day round table on this issue for the benefit of civil society, but he felt that this is not enough. The publication of this agreement remains one of the conditions for the validation of the third review and a new disbursement from the IMF.