Conference around Olivier Kamitatu, Planning Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Karim Dahou, Executive Programme Manager, NEPAD-OECD Africa Investment Initiative.

Chairman : Cyril Musila, Catholic University of Paris.

Democratic Republic of Congo is at an economic crossroad. The government tries to attract and keep investments, to maintain its revenues and make its economy more attractive. Recent events seem to show positive steps in doing business in DRC: - The Sino-Congolese partnership contract is now underway and taking into account of most IMF"s reservations; - Mineral-rich Katanga region has benefitted from the increasing of raw materials prices in 2009, after being badly hurt by the fall of Stock Exchange prices at the end of 2008; -DRC and Paris Club have resumed talks to access the completion point of Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative; - Launch of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative; - Process to join OHADA (Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa).

However, tasks to accomplish are still huge. Doing business 2009 from World Bank has ranked DRC last but one pointing at strong governance issues, economic and administrative instabilities.

Planning Minister, Olivier Kamitatu, is in charge of improving " Doing Business ". He is coming to inform and discuss government vision and current issues: - DRC"s development plan around infrastructures and the opportunities for potential investors ; - Underway and coming reforms to modernize business law (set up of a company, contract revision, customs, taxes, anti-corruption measures, etc.) and institutions in charge of Economics; - National and international tools, notably legal texts about investments and Trade; - Government/population expectations about potential investors, .

Karim Dahou, Executive Programme Manager, NEPAD-OECD Africa Investment Initiative will present experiences, challenges and difficulties faced by some African countries while setting up tools to improve Doing Business.

To get more information about this conference, please feel free to contact Sylvain Touati : Email : [email protected] ; Tel : +33 (0) 1 40 61 60 86