The Congolese government and the Federation of Enterprises of Congo (FEC) have agreed on a set of transitional measures to ease the rollout of a standardized invoice system that became mandatory on Dec. 1, following talks held on Dec. 11.
The meeting, chaired by Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba and attended by Vice Minister Grace Yamba Kazadi and FEC President Robert Malumba Kalombo, focused on assessing the early implementation of the reform and addressing technical difficulties raised by companies.
“This is a structural reform, but it must be applied in a pragmatic and consultative manner,” the finance minister said, announcing steps aimed at “removing the operational obstacles faced by the private sector.”
The FEC outlined three main concerns: the absence of a user manual for the fiscal control module (MCF), delays in the approval process for companies’ billing systems, and technical limits of the tax administration’s electronic platform, known as e-UF, when handling large transaction volumes.
Sanctions Put on Hold
The Finance Ministry said it would set up a joint Finance–Tax Authority–FEC commission, bringing together technicians and information technology specialists from businesses to propose solutions to the identified problems. The commission is due to begin work on Dec. 17.
M. Fwamba also announced a two-month suspension of penalties related to tax deduction rights and fines, covering December and January. “This transitional period will allow companies to adjust without excessive pressure,” he said, according to a summary of the meeting.
In addition, a special unit will be created within the minister’s office to handle companies’ requests within 48 hours, while the national tax authority, the DGI, has been instructed to set clear deadlines for approving billing systems. If the administration fails to respond, approval will be deemed granted, the ministry said.
A Major Tax Reform
Companies that issue a large volume of invoices have also been authorized to combine their own billing systems with the government’s e-UF platform by importing invoice data.
The talks come as the country navigates a sensitive rollout of the standardized invoice, a major tax reform intended to improve transaction traceability and boost public revenue collection. The Finance Ministry says technical preparations have been completed since 2024 and that the necessary infrastructure is in place.
Official figures show that 731 taxpayers are currently in the approval process, 1,455 are using the state-provided materialized billing unit offered free of charge, and 540 already have an active unit.
The FEC, however, argues that progress remains slow compared with the roughly 12,000 value-added tax taxpayers nationwide. “The reform is necessary, but its success depends on an implementation that is technically sound and adapted to the realities of businesses,” the federation said when the measure was first announced. M&B
