The Congolese authorities confirm that the ninth edition of the Games at La Francophonie in Kinshasa will be held from 19 to 28 August 2022, despite the concerns expressed by experts from the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF).
One year after their completion, the infrastructure is not yet complete. The government has tried to revive the machine for a week through meetings with various stakeholders. One of the areas of concern is financing.
At this time, even the final game budget is not yet defined. According to various sources, it fluctuates between 100 and 150 million dollars. A large part of this money will be used to build or rehabilitate infrastructure, both to host the events and to accommodate the various delegations.
Following the various reports and concerns expressed by the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), the Prime Minister became personally involved and brought all stakeholders together last week. Objective: to restart the machine and move quickly before the experts will decide on the maintenance, suspension or cancellation of these games. All relevant sector ministries are urged by the Prime Minister to work together effectively to alleviate the administrative machine and speed up the process.
However, apart from the observations made by the International Games Committee on the weaknesses of the administration, not enough state funds are provided. The national economy has been affected by the effects of Covid-19 and the country is engaged in the fight against armed groups in its eastern part.
Thus, the budget of 100 to 150 million dollars could be revised downwards depending on the cash flow and the National Games Committee is ready to make concessions. A disbursement plan is being prepared, in particular with the help of the Ministry of Finance.
