Financial Crime World

CONGO, THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF: DFID Unveils Anti-Corruption Measures to Safeguard UK Aid Funds

The British government has launched a comprehensive anti-corruption strategy in Congo, the Democratic Republic of, to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of UK aid funds. This move comes as part of efforts to combat corruption, which is a pervasive problem in the country.

Corruption: A Pervasive Problem

Congo’s fragile state and history of conflict have led to widespread corruption, with more than 65% of respondents reporting that they had paid bribes or were asked for bribes in the past year. Transparency International ranks Congo 160 out of 174 countries in its Corruption Perception Index.

DFID’s Anti-Corruption Strategy

To combat this problem, the Department for International Development (DFID) has introduced a range of measures to protect UK aid funds. These include:

  • Rigorous risk assessments and monitoring requirements for all projects and programmes
  • Regular internal and external audits to ensure that money is spent on its intended purpose
  • Strengthening risk management procedures, including:
    • More detailed fraud and corruption risk assessments in programmes
    • Enhanced pre-funding “due diligence” checks on partners
    • Specialized training for staff
  • Establishing a third-party monitoring system to ensure that all projects are delivering results and remain good value for money

Supporting Efforts to Reduce Corruption

The DFID’s anti-corruption strategy also includes supporting efforts to reduce corruption in Congo, such as:

  • Improving public financial management
  • Increasing access to information about services
  • Enhancing external oversight of public spending
  • Working with local and provincial governments to strengthen their budgeting, reporting, and auditing processes

Sector-Specific Initiatives

In the extractive industries sector, the DFID will:

  • Maintain regular contact with relevant authorities in the UK to ensure a coherent approach to addressing corruption
  • Develop a stronger evidence base on the causes of corruption in Congolese society to better target its response and programming

Accessing the Country Programme

The country programme is available on the DFID website at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Where-we-work/Africa-West-Central/Congo-Democratic-Republic/. Media inquiries can be directed to pressoffice@dfid.gov.uk.

Contact Us

For more information, please visit the DFID website or contact us at pressoffice@dfid.gov.uk.