Small business and retail trade in the DRC: Daniel Mukoko Samba announces the start of controls and sanctions

The Congolese Government intends to strengthen the organization of the internal market by ensuring compliance with the rules governing commercial activities. In this context, Daniel Mukoko Samba is continuing to raise awareness among various stakeholders about the implementation of the reform concerning small commerce and retail trade, before the application of sanctions provided against non-compliant operators. After an initial meeting with major importers on Monday, October 5th, the head of the National Economy exchanged, on Monday, October 12, 2026, with representatives of several diplomatic missions, including those of China, Benin, Mali, Senegal, and Nigeria. These consultations aim to promote a better understanding of the objectives and modalities of application of Decree No. 26/011 of March 30, 2026, in a context where the Government seeks to reconcile the promotion of national entrepreneurship and the attractiveness of the Democratic Republic of Congo for foreign investment. Separating wholesale and retail activities At the heart of this reform is the distinction between wholesale and retail trade. For Daniel Mukoko Samba, this separation must contribute to establishing more equitable competition among economic operators and ensuring a better organized commercial environment. The Vice-Prime Minister notably believes that a wholesale importer should not be in a position of direct competition with retailers who source from them, while also selling retail in the same neighborhood. "The organization we are seeking is based on a simple logic: shared prosperity. It is not normal for a wholesale importer to also sell retail in the same neighborhood as a retailer who sources from them. This is unfair competition," stated Daniel Mukoko Samba. Through this approach, the Government intends to clarify the responsibilities of the different categories of operators while promoting the creation of economic value in the internal market. Room for controls and sanctions The reform is now entering a new phase, marked by the control of compliance with regulatory provisions and the application of sanctions provided against operators who do not comply with them. "We have reached the stage where we will control and begin to sanction, because our objective is to better organize the creation of economic value," the Minister of National Economy stated. Faced with this evolution, the concerned operators are called upon to take the necessary measures to comply with the regulations. Depending on the situations, they will have to adapt their organization, redirect their activities, or consider new economic models when their current practices can no longer be maintained within the legal framework. This implementation phase constitutes an important challenge for the Government, which seeks to enforce commercial rules while avoiding the reform being interpreted as a challenge to the country's economic openness. The Government reassures foreign investors Daniel Mukoko Samba insisted that the DRC remains open to foreign investment and trade exchanges. The objective is therefore not to close the Congolese market, but to ensure that economic activities take place within a clear regulatory framework, defining the rights and obligations of each category of operators. The governmental approach is thus based on a dual imperative: protecting and promoting Congolese entrepreneurship while preserving the country's attractiveness to international investors. The Government intends, in this view, to continue dialogue with economic operators and international partners to facilitate the understanding of the reform and its application in accordance with the laws of the Republic. Importers and associated diplomatic missions to trade exchanges The meeting on October 5th with major importers particularly brought together representatives from Premium Food, GFCO Sarlu, Hyper Psaro, and SOCIMEX. The meeting on October 12th, for its part, brought together representatives from several diplomatic missions, including those of China, Benin, Mali, Senegal, and Nigeria. Through these successive consultations, the Ministry of National Economy intends to support the implementation of this reform among the concerned actors. The challenge will now be to translate the stated objectives into commercial practices compliant with the regulations, in an internal market where the pursuit of fair competition must go hand in hand with the promotion of private initiative and investment development.