A presumed corruption scandal has been making headlines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in recent days. The government has entered into a contract worth over 300 million dollars for the construction of one thousand water treatment stations across the country. However, this cost is tainted with allegations of overpricing, according to several civil society organizations.
The contract dates back to 2021. It envisages the delivery of over 1300 mobile water treatment stations at nearly 300,000 dollars each in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A quarter of this amount has been disbursed under emergency procedures, but as of now, only 241 stations have been delivered.
The issue at hand is the unit cost of these water treatment stations. Opposition figure Moïse Katumbi asserts that one station costs 20,000 dollars, while other NGOs mention a figure close to 25,000 dollars. In any case, this amount falls far short of the 300,000 USD per unit stipulated in the contract.
According to the Congolese Minister of Finance, who plays a key role in fund disbursement, there has been no misappropriation of funds, and he denies any involvement in potential overpricing.
The consortium’s companies, on the other hand, maintain that they are pursuing a commercial objective and must make profits. The consortium certifies that the prices were proposed based on the quality of materials to be used for the works, and the amounts were accepted by the government.
Under pressure from civil society, the judiciary has initiated a judicial inquiry, as the country has already paid nearly 72 million dollars to the consortium of suppliers, which includes a Cameroonian company, Stever Construct Cameroun Sarl. The technical control office has been requisitioned to collect data.