The Republic of the Congo has attracted significant foreign direct investment (FDI), which was concentrated mainly in the oil sector (over 90%). Many Government initiatives have been launched with the goal of making the country an emerging economy by 2025. In this context, attracting FDI beyond oil is a key element of the overall strategy to stimulate private sector development. Reforms to improve the business environment generally go in the right direction.

However, a significant gap in their implementation hampers their effectiveness and impact. At the request of the Government, the Investment Policy Review (IPR) of the Republic of the Congo analyses the role that FDI can play in meeting the country's development goals and proposes concrete recommendations to address the policy, legal, regulatory and institutional barriers to investment.

The IPR also analyses the potential role of FDI in addressing food security and poverty through agriculture development. It advices the Government to adopt a clear vision for the sector and to pay particular attention to the agricultural development model that is advocated.

In particular, it stresses the important role of the Government to promoting inclusive agriculture development and the integration of local operators in FDI-led value chains as it can maximize the sustainable development impact of FDI projects. It also highlights the fact that regular monitoring and rigorous evaluation of projects, based on reliable indicators, are among the best tools to ensure good results.

Key Messages (English)

The full report is only available in French