A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear members and associate members, dear partners of Unicongo,

First of all, I would like to thank the participants of the Elective General Assembly held in November 2022, for the confidence they have placed in my office and in me by electing us to lead our organization. It is a great honor for me that I assume with trepidation, humility but also determination and passion.

The Congo has been going through a major economic crisis for 8 years, caused mainly by the fall in commodity prices that began in 2014. This crisis has led to massive layoffs and a tense social climate. The private sector has probably borne the brunt of keeping the Congolese economy afloat, putting pressure on our companies that they have found difficult to bear. This difficult situation has led dozens of companies to put their activities on hold, and for some, the key under the door.

I would like to congratulate our members for their resilience and assure them that Unicongo will continue to work with them to defend their interests and help them to grow their businesses again. In order to do this, now that there are some signs of recovery on the horizon, we must work with the government to find solutions that will lead to a sustainable recovery from this difficult situation.

The new board, under my presidency, is committed to affirming the Union as the interlocutor of choice for the Government in its efforts to improve the business climate and as a partner in the economic recovery.

Unicongo must once again become the force of proposal that it has long been, a proactive force that listens to its members. We will create, with the participation of all, a new impetus for this Union to be taken into consideration in a more positive way by the public authorities and to be placed at the heart of economic development.

In parallel with this new dynamic vis-à-vis the public authorities, our union will begin a process of promoting its role among the general public and its partners, in order to forge closer ties together and improve social dialogue.

I would like to salute the work of my predecessor, President Missengui, who succeeded in carrying out his mandate despite a difficult international geopolitical and economic context.

In the hope that the long-awaited economic recovery will materialize, I wish you all a successful year in 2023 in conducting your business.