ANAPI is working both locally and globally to provide information and boost enterprise.

According to ANAPI, there are several good reasons to invest in the DRC. The most obvious are the country’s geographical position and huge population, combining to create potentially vast market opportunities. The country’s varied and abundant natural resources, including the energy potential to power most of Africa, are another. Labor is plentiful and cheap, the economy is expanding, and the new government’s economic policies are laying the foundations for a secure and promising business sector. ANAPI itself exists to provide assistance in all aspects of the investment process.

Professor Mathias Buabua Wa Kayembe, Managing Director of ANAPI, answered some questions about the organization and its work.

What measures are in place to give potential investors confidence in the DRC?

Prof. MATHIAS BUABUA WA KAYEMBE Managing Director of ANAPI

Professor Buabua: First of all, you have the juridical provisions that have been put in place, the new mining code and the investment code for example. These codes have been made to guarantee the protection of ownership rights by the state, and recognize the principle of free trade. Moreover, Congo is a member of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a World Bank agency that protects investors against political, non-commercial risks. But another sure guarantee is economic stability, which is being established. President Kabila has faith in economic liberalism and a market economy. We are starting to project an image of a country working seriously to make up for lost time on the economic front.

What is ANAPI doing to attract investment from abroad, particularly the U.S.?

We have created a one-stop shop for the administrative processes, helping businesses to set up in a week to ten days. We also have a website and we are traveling a lot. We are planning to go to the U.S., as it is one of our targeted countries. In addition, we hold conferences and meetings with chambers of commerce, embassies and business consultants. However, our main strategy is to work locally to improve the business environment here, then to provide information to foreign partners in order to attract them to our country.

What economic sectors provide the most opportunities for potential investors?

With the rise of countries such as China there is a crisis of raw materials around the world, and we have huge energy and mining potential. In the telecommunications sector, we have 60 million people and close to 2 million of these have access to phones. There are no fixed lines at present, which means there is much scope for expansion. Our soil is fertile and suitable for organic cultivation. We are surrounded by desert countries and we could easily become the breadbasket of Africa. Basically, opportunities exist across the entire economy, and we are here to help.