The International Monetary Fund has warned that the Democratic Republic of Congo’s public finances are veering off course, citing the rapid rise of the government wage bill as a “major budgetary risk”, according to reports by RFI and Top Congo.
The Washington-based institution said personnel spending has already exceeded projections for 2025 and 2026. Salaries are absorbing an increasing share of current revenues, crowding out productive investment in roads, energy and basic infrastructure.
As of last September, the wage bill accounted for more than 50 percent of current revenues, a situation the government itself described as “critical”, RFI reported. Authorities had announced biometric audits to eliminate so-called ghost workers and duplicate payroll entries.
The bulk of the increase is concentrated in three sectors: education and health, following the formalization of thousands of new hires; the judiciary, where both staffing levels and magistrates’ salaries have risen; and the security sector, amid ongoing conflict in the country’s east.
“The wage bill creates budgetary inertia. Once a salary is increased or a civil servant is hired, it is impossible to reverse course. This reduces the state’s ability to respond to humanitarian emergencies or to stimulate the economy,” Top Congo quoted.
Valery Madianga, coordinator of the Center for Research on Public Finance and Local Development (CREFDL), told RFI that the wage bill had grown by a further 11 percent this year.
“We observe that the state has become the sole employer and everyone is seeking a job, a payroll number. Added to this are unstructured promotions in rank. At the same time, public revenues have practically shrunk since the 2025 fiscal year. Courageous measures are needed to restore public finances,” he said.
The I.M.F. is urging swift structural reforms, including a rigorous biometric census, a coherent wage policy and greater transparency in public financial management. Without adjustments, the fund warned, the deficit could widen in 2026, threatening the stability of the Congolese franc and household purchasing power.
As of Feb. 20 January 2026, salaries had not yet been paid in all ministries, according to an investigation by the Congolese Press Agency.
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