During a ceremony held this Tuesday in the Congress Hall of the Kinshasa Financial Center, the President of the Republic Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo proceeded with the solemn opening of the works of the 8th edition of the Exhibition of development of cities, development corridors and special economic zones called "Expo Béton".
Planned for two sites this year (Kinshasa then Matadi), Expo Béton 2024 aims to be a place for collective reflection on the theme “Urban revolution, sustainable solutions for the Western corridor for Kinshasa and Kongo Central”.
In his speech, the Head of State said that "Expo Béton 2024" is an event of strategic importance in that it addresses major challenges facing urban centers and particularly the city of Kinshasa due to rapid population growth.
The President of the Republic affirmed that the government is committed to providing structural responses to this thorny issue.
"Aware of the urgency of the situation, I have been attentive to the recommendations of all previous editions; this is how I created a ministry delegated to Urban Policy and promoted public-private partnership (PPP), said President Tshisekedi.
The Head of State returned to the implementation of his ambitious grassroots development program (PDL-145T) considered as one of the solutions for improving the quality of life in urban areas.
"The opening up of our territories is an absolute priority for me, because it directly affects equal opportunities for all our fellow citizens, regardless of their place of residence," declared President Tshisekedi.
Speaking before the Head of State as well as numerous decision-makers and entrepreneurs, Senator Jean Bamanisa, promoter of “Expo Béton” requested the support of public authorities in private investments in urban areas. Making his plea in favour of private investments in the city of Kinshasa, Jean Bamanisa requested that occupations by subdivision of lots along the Kinshasa ring road under construction be prohibited and that land reserves in blocks of subdivisions of 200 hectares and more be constituted.
The promoter of Expo Béton sounded the alarm and challenged the public on the subject of the dilapidated state of the roads: "How can the construction sector continue to contribute to the development of our cities by building modern buildings, when there are no roads, no drainage network, not enough electricity and no water?"
As for the Minister Delegate for Urban Policy, Tenge Litho, he welcomed the materialization of the Head of State's vision in terms of urban infrastructure.
"Our urban centres are now at the heart of the national development strategy, and it is our obligation to plan, administer and animate them in a way that effectively meets present needs while participating in future projects," he said.
Launched in 2016 with the aim of classifying the DRC among emerging countries in 2030 and placing it in the club of developed countries in 2050, Expo Béton RDC is the largest exhibition of construction and housing, infrastructure, energy, trade and multimodal transport for professionals and individuals in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
More than 60 entrepreneurs from the public and private sectors set up around fifty stands at the Kinshasa Financial Center.