The DRC’s insurance regulatory authority (ARCA) and the single-window trade facilitation agency (SEGUCE) have signed a memorandum of understanding in Kinshasa aimed at strengthening insurance controls on imported goods and combating insurance premium evasion.
The agreement provides for enhanced information-sharing between the two bodies and the integration of insurance requirements into the digitalized foreign trade procedures. At stake is compliance with mandatory cargo insurance on imports, as required by Congolese insurance law but widely circumvented in practice.
“ARCA ensures the protection of policyholders, the reliability of operators and the integrity of the system as a whole, but above all it enforces the provisions of the Insurance Code through the fight against insurance premium evasion and the rigorous control of compulsory insurance, including cargo insurance on imports,” said Alain Kanyinda, ARCA’s Director General to Radio Okapi.
The partnership builds on efficiency gains already delivered by SEGUCE’s digital platform. Its Director General, Yann Le Roux, highlighted the dramatic reduction in processing times since the single window was rolled out.
“Today, declaring a trade operation takes 4 hours. Before, it could take 2 or 3 weeks. Settling operations now takes 4 days. We have clearly saved a lot of time, and we achieved that by simplifying procedures,” he said.
The initiative is part of the Congolese government’s broader drive to modernize public administration through digitalization and improve the business climate for import-export operations.
M&B
