DRC Plans One-Stop Agency to Attract Major Mining Investment

The Democratic Republic of Congo is preparing to establish a centralised agency for major mining investments as part of reforms linked to its minerals partnership with the United States, according to sources familiar with the plans.

The proposed one-stop agency is intended to simplify the process of investing in the DRC’s mining sector by bringing key administrative functions together, potentially reducing the lengthy approval procedures that investors currently face.

The reform is being led by the finance and economy ministries and is expected to centralise areas including company registration, mining licences, taxation and regulatory compliance for major projects.

The agency would initially focus on large joint-venture mining projects valued at more than $1 billion and operating under special fiscal arrangements. One example cited by government sources is Sicomines, the Chinese-controlled copper and cobalt venture.

The legislation required to formally establish the agency still needs to be promulgated.

The proposed reform comes as the DRC seeks to attract greater investment into its vast mineral resources while diversifying its sources of capital and export markets. The country is the world’s largest cobalt producer and the second-largest copper producer, placing it at the centre of growing international competition for critical minerals.

The United States, China and the European Union have all entered into minerals-related agreements with Kinshasa as governments and companies seek greater access to resources considered important for energy technologies and advanced manufacturing.

The US-DRC minerals partnership has already supported new investment, including a Washington-backed mining investment through Virtus Minerals, while Congolese copper sales to the United States and Europe have increased.

According to government sources and a mining analyst cited by Reuters, the planned agency is intended to reduce the bureaucratic fragmentation that can delay major mining projects. Eric Ndeh, international director of civil society organisation Afrewatch, said the proposed one-stop structure could help address longstanding administrative barriers facing investors.

The reform is not intended to exclude Chinese companies. Congolese authorities have repeatedly said their strategy is to diversify investment and markets rather than replace China’s established role in the country’s mining sector.

That approach could allow Chinese, American and European investors to use the same streamlined investment framework if the proposed agency becomes operational.

For the DRC, improving the investment environment comes as demand for copper and cobalt continues to influence global mining strategies. The country has substantial deposits of both minerals, but unlocking greater investment will also depend on regulatory certainty, infrastructure, financing and the ability to develop projects through to processing and value addition.

The planned agency therefore represents part of a broader effort to make the DRC’s mining sector more accessible to international investors while maintaining the country’s position as a major supplier of critical minerals.

Image: Ivanhoe Mines