DRC envisages a functional digital government platform by March

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) plans to launch its digital government platform within the first quarter of this year as part of its digital public services implementation ambitions.

This envisaged platform is a key aspect outlined in the country’s digital and infrastructure plan which the government started drafting last year, and intends to make it operational soon.

The blueprint, which covers the period 2026-2030, seeks to make the Central African nation a regional digital transformation leader and boost digital economy growth.

According to available details of the plan, as mentioned in a report by Tech In Africa, the country’s digital government ecosystem is underpinned by a national digital ID system which is already being implemented by Singaporean firm Trident.

In June last year, the DRCPass digital ID was launched with a plan to integrate with several government and private sector sectors in the medium and long term.

As authorities explain, apart from the digital government platform which is meant to facilitate access to digital public services and procedures, the DRC, in March, also hopes to put in place a national interbank payment platform to make transactions between banks and mobile money agents easier, as well as an online tax portal and customs system which is expected to increase direct tax revenue by 1.2 to 1.3 percent of GDP.

The five-year plan prioritizes four major pillars, namely digital infrastructure and connectivity, human capital development and inclusion, digital public services, and cybersecurity and digital trust.

In the area of digital infrastructure and connectivity, the DRC plans to substantially increase access to broadband services to reach about 30 million people and 1,000 institutions, and add at least 9.7 million more internet users by 2029.

With regard to human capital development and inclusion, the major goals are to have 250,000 DRC youth trained on AI, cybersecurity and programming; at least 3,000 in advanced digital skills, and about 1,000 teachers also trained in digital literacy, among others.

Concerning cybersecurity and digital trust, the plan envisages, among other things, the creation of 30,000 cybersecurity jobs, the construction of a tier 3 data centre in the capital Kinshasa, and the implementation of the blockchain-based DRCPass digital ID, which is estimated to cost $97.1 million, according to Bankable Africa.

The plan, which is projected to contribute $4.1 billion to the DRC’s GDP by 2030, requires a colossal 8.7 billion euros (US$) for its implementation, and the government says it is committing around $1.5 billion to the cause. The remaining funding is expected to come from international and private sector partners, the World Bank through the Inclusive Digitalization in Eastern and Southern Africa (IDEA) program, and the French Development Agency.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Democratic Republic of Congo  |  digital government  |  digital identity  |  DRC Pass  |  Trident