Democratic Republic of Congo president Felix Tshisekedi has come under fire from observers over recent revelations that his monthly salary is in excess of $1 million in a country that the United Nations has listed as one of the 10 poorest nations in the world.
Recently, the Minister of Finance Nicolas Kazadi announced that emoluments for public officials such as the former president Joseph Kabila would be adjusted downward. A law was then pushed into the Congolese legislation with Kabila’s salary immediately sliced.
On paper, President Tshisekedi’s salary is in the region of $25, 000. However, the treasury shows that the Head of State receives in excess of $1 million per month.
Sources say the payments have enabled President Tshisekedi buy properties in Belgium and other parts of the world which he did not have.
“There is serious financial mismanagement of national resources. The DRC has never been plundered this way and people are shocked. Mr. Tshisekedi is showing that he gets a small amount of money per month but the reality is different.
“Before he became president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, he was jobless but now he has bought mansions in Belgium. Where is the money coming? The salary is inflated from what is on paper and this is the way he has enriched himself,” the source in the Ministry of Finance says.
The source disclosed that the biggest disparity comes in when emoluments of top government officials are compared to those of civil servants such as teachers and soldiers.
“Our education system has collapsed; our army is poorly equipped and can’t fight those who are invading the country in the east but look what our leaders are getting as salaries. This is insane,” the source said.
Leader of one of the biggest economies, President Joe Biden of the United States of America, gets about $400, 000. President Tshisekedi gets a little less on paper than President Biden but records shows the Congolese leader has gobbled more than twice more than the latter.
