With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Kamanda wa Kamanda Muzembe

According to Jean-Pierre Lihau, the Vice-Prime Minister, this increase will be progressive. The government and the Intersyndicate of the Civil Service reached an agreementon a 30% increase in the salaries of civil servants and other career public employees. Military personnel and police included, specifies the Vice-Prime Minister in charge of the Civil Service.

According to Mr. Lihau, another increase is planned for the third quarter of this year, this time of 45%. The Congolese government intends to respond this way to the recurring demands of civil servants regarding their standard of living.

Price increases

The latter have complained for years of difficulties, with a household shopping basket nearly empty. They claim that "the cost of living depreciates daily, a loaf of bread that sold for 200 Congolese francs a few days ago now costs more than double". Some civil servants are also demanding major reforms and a cleanup of public administration, for example the departure of some 350,000 people eligible for retirement.

To carry out this salary increase, the Congolese government hopes to recover money improperly received by agents, called cumulative earners, who find themselves on multiple payrolls in the different ministries of Public Administration.