Prime Minister Judith Suminwa has submitted the 2027 finance bill to the National Assembly, with security, infrastructure, agriculture, public-sector pay and social programs among the priorities. The government also plans to extend free basic education to the 7th and 8th years, although Parliament must still examine and approve the proposal.
KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo — September 16, 2026 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo has formally sent its proposed 2027 national budget to Parliament, opening the legislative phase for a spending plan valued at about $24.8 billion.
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka deposited the draft finance law at the National Assembly on Tuesday, September 15, together with the 2025 budget-execution accountability bill.
The Agence Congolaise de Presse (ACP) reported, citing the Prime Minister's office, that the version submitted to Parliament was valued at 56.929 trillion Congolese francs, equivalent to approximately $24.8 billion.
That figure is slightly below the 57.5 trillion Congolese francs announced after the Council of Ministers approved the draft on September 11. The government has nevertheless consistently placed the dollar value of the plan at about $24.8 billion.
The cabinet-approved version represented an increase of roughly 12% from the approximately $22 billion revised 2026 budget, according to ACP's report on the Council of Ministers decision.
Suminwa described the proposal as a "budget of action and sovereignty", saying it is designed to convert government priorities into budgeted programs.
Free basic education could expand to 7th and 8th years
One of the most closely watched social measures in the 2027 budget process is the government's plan to extend the country's free basic-education policy to students in the 7th and 8th years.
Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said during the budget-preparation process that extending free schooling to those two levels was among the priorities under consideration.
POLITICS & SOCIETY
DRC $24.8B 2027 Budget Reaches Parliament With Free School Plan
Sep 16, 2026
Sep 16, 2026
7 min read
Published
Updated:
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa has submitted the 2027 finance bill to the National Assembly, with security, infrastructure, agriculture, public-sector pay and social programs among the priorities. The government also plans to extend free basic education to the 7th and 8th years, although Parliament must still examine and approve the proposal.
KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo — September 16, 2026 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo has formally sent its proposed 2027 national budget to Parliament, opening the legislative phase for a spending plan valued at about $24.8 billion.
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka deposited the draft finance law at the National Assembly on Tuesday, September 15, together with the 2025 budget-execution accountability bill.
The Agence Congolaise de Presse (ACP) reported, citing the Prime Minister's office, that the version submitted to Parliament was valued at 56.929 trillion Congolese francs, equivalent to approximately $24.8 billion.
That figure is slightly below the 57.5 trillion Congolese francs announced after the Council of Ministers approved the draft on September 11. The government has nevertheless consistently placed the dollar value of the plan at about $24.8 billion.
The cabinet-approved version represented an increase of roughly 12% from the approximately $22 billion revised 2026 budget, according to ACP's report on the Council of Ministers decision.
Suminwa described the proposal as a "budget of action and sovereignty", saying it is designed to convert government priorities into budgeted programs.
Free basic education could expand to 7th and 8th years
One of the most closely watched social measures in the 2027 budget process is the government's plan to extend the country's free basic-education policy to students in the 7th and 8th years.
Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said during the budget-preparation process that extending free schooling to those two levels was among the priorities under consideration.
Reporting by Opinion Info and other Congolese outlets said the measure was included among the social priorities of the proposed 2027 budget alongside universal health coverage.
The available government communication has not yet specified how much money would be allocated specifically to financing the extension.
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The proposal also remains subject to parliamentary scrutiny and adoption. The submission of the finance bill to the National Assembly begins the legislative process rather than making every proposed measure final.
Security and defence remain major priorities
Security and defence are among the government's top spending priorities for 2027.
Suminwa said the budget takes into account the need to support efforts to restore peace, particularly in eastern DRC, according to the ACP report on the parliamentary submission.
The spending plan also includes priorities related to the purchasing power of households, agriculture and domestic production.
The government says increased investment in agriculture and local production is intended to strengthen food supply and support household purchasing power.
Public-sector remuneration is another area included in the proposal, with the government linking planned spending to commitments made under agreements with public-sector unions.
Roads, airports and universities included
Infrastructure is another major component of the proposed budget.
Suminwa specifically cited roads, airports and universities among areas expected to receive public investment under the 2027 plan.
The government has also presented infrastructure and other structural investments as part of a broader effort to support economic activity and improve public services.
The cabinet account said allocations are expected to focus on security, infrastructure, social sectors, economic diversification and reconstruction in areas affected by conflict.
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Government targets $17.5 billion in domestic revenue
Financing the budget will depend heavily on the government's ability to collect more revenue inside the country.
According to the Council of Ministers account reported by ACP, projected current domestic revenue is equivalent to about $17.5 billion.
The government is targeting a 12.8% tax-to-GDP ratio as it seeks to increase the state's financial autonomy.
Projected external resources total close to $4 billion, including about $973 million in budget support and roughly $3 billion from bilateral and multilateral partners, according to the same cabinet account.
Authorities say improved revenue collection will rely partly on reforms including greater digitalization of tax and revenue services, closer monitoring of standardized invoicing and improvements to value-added tax administration.
Elections, population identification and national dialogue funded
The proposed budget also includes money for several political and administrative processes expected to require public financing.
Suminwa said provisions have been included for elections and the identification of the population, according to the Prime Minister's communication reported by ACP.
The government also says funding has been incorporated for a proposed national dialogue.
These expenditures will be examined alongside the rest of the finance bill as lawmakers begin reviewing the government's revenue assumptions and spending priorities.
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Why two Congolese-franc figures are being reported
Two slightly different Congolese-franc totals have appeared in official and media reporting around the 2027 proposal.
After the September 11 Council of Ministers meeting, the government announced a balanced budget of 57.5 trillion CDF, equivalent to approximately $24.8 billion.
When Suminwa deposited the bill at the National Assembly on September 15, the Prime Minister's office said the submitted text was valued at 56.929 trillion CDF, while still giving the dollar equivalent as approximately $24.8 billion.
The publicly available communications reviewed by XTRAfrica do not explain the roughly 571 billion CDF difference between the cabinet figure and the amount cited at parliamentary submission.
For that reason, the dollar figure of approximately $24.8 billion is the clearest consistent headline number, while the final Congolese-franc total should be confirmed from the finance bill itself as Parliament begins examining the text.
Parliament now takes over
The submission does not mean the budget has become law.
The National Assembly must now examine the proposed revenues, expenditures and policy priorities before voting on the finance bill. The text will proceed through the remaining stages of the parliamentary budget process before a final budget can take effect for 2027.
The proposed expansion of free schooling, infrastructure allocations and other programs may therefore still be modified during parliamentary review.
If adopted near its current level, the 2027 budget would represent a significant increase from the revised 2026 spending plan and would place greater pressure on the government to meet its domestic-revenue targets.
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