Makutano Talk – Economic Sovereignty

This document captures the richness of the discussions held during the very first Makutano Talk on 21 June 2025 in the Makutano room of the Makutano Club House, organised around a central question: Does the DRC have the means to match its ambitions in terms of economic sovereignty?

In an unprecedented format, this gathering brought together public decision-makers, academics, entrepreneurs, and national and international experts around a common goal: to provide an uncompromising diagnosis and to identify concrete levers to transform the Congolese economic model.

The note revisits the standout contributions of this gathering, focusing on:

• The fiscal and legislative framework;
• Industrialisation and local processing;
• The role of youth and human capital;
• The governance of strategic resources;
• The importance of a coherent and sustainable institutional framework.

This document is intended for decision-makers, researchers, economic operators and engaged citizens who are keen to contribute to the emergence of a sovereign, inclusive and sustainable economic project for the Democratic Republic of the Congo.