KINSHASA: The International Monetary Fund has urged leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo to reform their tax system as part of efforts to pay for costly upcoming elections.
In order to boost its revenues DR Congo needs to "implement without delays" an overhaul of its tax administration, including more robust collection and stronger customs enforcement, the IMF said in a statement Thursday.
The recommendations come after a IMF visit to the vast, mineral-rich nation for discussions focused on encouraging growth and stability.
Higher revenues "would allow an increase in public spending on priority sectors, in particular education, health, and basic infrastructure while contributing to the financing of the elections in 2015-16," the statement said.
The cost of a series of upcoming votes, culminating in the presidential election next year, is estimated at $1.1 billion. The government budget in DR Congo is roughly $9 billion for 2015.
Opposition leaders suspect that President Joseph Kabila is positioning himself to a make a third run for office, which is barred by the constitution. He has refused to publicly announce that he will step down at the end of his current term.
There is also concern among the opposition that the series of votes will exhaust election funding, which could then serve as a pretext to delay the presidential election and thus extend Kabila's hold on power.
The IMF statement also noted that the DR Congo's economy is expected to grow by more than nine percent in 2015, one of the highest growth rates in the world.
Despite the robust growth seen in the DR Congo in recent years, most of the nation's population of some 67 million live in deep poverty.
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