Finance Act 2025: "Teachers' delegates will be involved in the National Assembly's ECOFIN committee" (Vital Kamerhe)

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Vital Kamerhe, announced that teachers’ union representatives would participate in the work of the Economy and Finance Committee (ECOFIN) regarding the 2025 Finance Bill. The Speaker of the lower house of the Congolese Parliament made this announcement during a plenary session he presided over on Wednesday, October 16, at the National Assembly. This plenary session was devoted to the 2023 Accountability Act as well as the 2024 Amended Budget Act. “In fact, it was planned that we would be surrounded today, but they will have to be patient; teacher delegates will work at ECOFIN with the members of this committee so that they can see for themselves the funds they can allocate to improve teachers’ living conditions…,” Vital Kamerhe stated. The inclusion of teachers’ representatives in this team tasked with reviewing the national budget reflects the government’s commitment to working closely with the national legislature to address, at least to some extent, the salary issue facing civil servants in general and teachers in particular. This statement follows a meeting the Speaker of the lower house of Parliament had with the Minister of State for National Education and New Citizenship, Raïssa Malu, on this issue. The minister presented him with a copy of the EDU-NC Five-Year Plan to enable national deputies to guide solutions that benefit Congolese teachers during the review of the 2025 Budget. “I met with the Minister of State for National Education, Ms. Raïssa Malu, regarding this matter; teachers are seriously complaining. “I wouldn’t mind spending four days here to discuss this issue on a daily basis. This is a very serious matter because teachers believe it is the Ministry of Education that must change their situation; they will be involved so they can understand the budgetary constraints…,” he added. As a reminder, teacher strikes have been reported in some parts of the country. In particular, they are demanding improved working conditions in accordance with the Bibwa agreements reached between the unions and the government. Willy Kambulu