The DRC immense energy potential consists of non-renewable resources such as oil, natural gas and uranium, and renewable energy sources including hydroelectric, biomass, solar, wind, and geothermal power. The government’s vision is to increase the level of service up to 32% in 2030. The Congo River, which is the second largest river in the world with its basin astride the Equator provides an energy potential estimated at 100,000 MW spread across 780 sites in 145 territories and 76 000 villages. This potential represents approximately 37% of the African overall potential and about 6% of the global potential.
The vision of the government is (1) the reorganization of the housing sector (institutional reform and capacity building); (2) improvement of the housing (land development policy and of supervision of real estate); and (3) fund raise for housing to eliminate the housing shortage especially in the urban poverty areas.
In the past five years, there has been a slight increase in housing supply and private housing development. In 2011, for example, the central government launched a housing project named Cité Kin Oasis, which accommodated the completion of 1 000 social houses in Kinshasa/Bandalungwa. Most of housing development projects in the country are located in the capital city of Kinshasa, including Cité du Fleuve, Cité de l’Espoir, Cité Belle Vie, Cité Moderne, and Fungurume, a mining district of the newly created province of Lualaba.
Construction of social housing by Private operators
Cité du Fleuve;
Cité Kin Oasis;
City Belle Vie;
Cité de l’Espoir; and
Cité Moderne (in implementation processes).
The overall deficit in housing is estimated at 3,945,555 which means 263,039 houses need to be built per year.
The needs of the city of Kinshasa are estimated at 54.4% of the overall deficit, that is, 143,092 houses to be built per year.
DRC has 12 largest cities growing by approximately 4.7 percent a year and the urbanization process has increased from 9.9 percent in 1956 to over 42 percent in 2015, which reflects a relative surge in construction and housing supply.
Dealing with construction permits requires 12 procedures and takes 122 days, costing approximately six percent of the property value.
Property registration can be completed in 44 days through seven procedures.
There is potential for further development, through a recent initiative on the digitization of land titles and titling procedures executed by a local firm, Congo Check, which could both implement and improve the current land administration systems, by increasing transparency.
Legal framework of the sector
- Land Law No 73-021 of 20 July 1973 on the general regime of property, land tenure and property and collateral regime.
This law decrees precise standards, which regulate the purchasing area, of sales and leasing of land and / or concessions. It should oversee the decisions of sellers, lessees and buyers about the procedure for all transactions for the issuance by the Congolese State of ultra secure real estate titles.
Bakajika Law of June 7, 1966 (The soil and subsoil belong to the State).
It stated, “the soil and subsoil belong to the State.” This law was intended to bring order in the land sector.
- Ministerial Order No. Cab/MINA/TUHITPR/007/2013 of 26 June 2013 concerning the regulations of granting building permits in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Any person wishing to undertake a property development, urban innovation, building or structure of any kind in durable materials and according to the rules of art throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo, should first obtain a building permit from the relevant administration of Urban and Housing Planning.
- Circular Note n°005/CAB/MIN/AFF FUNC/2013 of 12 June 2013 on the procedure and the transfer period of land and property rights.