Congo is the fourth largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa. 90% of exports and 75% of budget revenues come from this sector. The current difficulties inherent in the fall in the price of a barrel of oil justify the strategic orientations currently being implemented, aimed at intensifying economic economic diversification in order to significantly increase non-oil growth. As a result, the oil sector will serve to consolidate and sustain economic growth by raising it to a level compatible with the objectives of economic emergence. The new Hydrocarbons Code (Law n°2016-28 of 12 October 201) incorporates this vision.

Strengths and potential

Congo has substantial crude oil reserves, but more modest gas reserves. At the current rate of production, this potential would allow at least 20 years of exploitation and related activities. The Congo is also relatively competitive in terms of exploration and and operating costs, which could be further improved by efforts to reform the industry and by major investments in rationalising production capacity and methods. In addition, the outlook for future discoveries is encouraging, given the scale of exploration investment and the country's favourable natural conditions.

Oil production in 2019: 339,000 barrels/day (IMF)
Gas reserves: 130 billion m3
Total oil reserves (all categories) = 8.25 billion barrels
Recovered reserves at the end of 2010= 2.225 billion barrels
Remaining reserves 2010(all categories)=6 billion

Investment opportunities

A wide range of investment opportunities can be identified :
Acquisition of exploration and exploitation licences in the open areas of the Cuvette coastal and inland basins;
Acquisition of interests in exploration and production licences already awarded ;
Extension of the activities of the CORAF refining plant, which is only able to operate at 70% of its capacity to meet 70% of national demand;
Construction of an ammonia/urea complex ;
Methanol production ;
Production of road bitumen ;
Manufacture of synthetic materials ;
Production of oxygen ;
Installation of the propane plant ;
Massive transport and storage of petroleum products, to overcome low safety stocks
current (less than 30 days in Brazzaville and Pointe Noire) ;
Gas packaging, transport and marketing ;
Production and marketing of lubricants and other petrochemical products ;
Building service stations along roads and motorways ;
Construction of warehouses for storing petroleum products at all airports and ports ports and filling centres inland.

The Congo has significant mineral reserves. This mining potential remains under-explored and under-exploited. Exploiting this potential could be a major source of revenue and help to diversify the economy, which is largely dependent on oil. the economy, which is largely dependent on oil. Based on current knowledge of the subsoil, there are several indications of deposits of gold, diamonds, potash, iron, polymetals and other minerals for agricultural and industrial use have been identified. and industrial use.

Strengths and potential

According to several available studies, the Congo's mining potential is as follows :

25 billion tonnes of iron reserves located in the departments of Lékoumou (Mayoko, Zanaga, Bambama, Madzoumou) in the south of the country and Sangha (Mont Nabemba, Ivindo, Boundoudo, Avima, Nabeba and Youkou) in the north of the country;
3.2 billion tonnes of potash reserves located in the departments of Kouilou/Pointe-Noire;
2.2 million tonnes of copper reserves
531 million tonnes of phosphate reserves.

In April 2005, the Republic of Congo adopted a new mining code to regulate investment in the mining sector. 2005 a new mining code under Law No. 4-2005 of 11 April 2005. attractive conditions and establishes a clear regime for mining exploration and exploitation agreements.

The Mining Code also gives the Congolese state a 10% stake in all mining projects, subject to the granting of a mining licence. in all mining projects. The mining royalty varies from 2% to 7% depending on non-precious mineral substances and 5% for precious minerals, etc.

Investment opportunities

There are several potential opportunities linked to the construction of local processing units. Support will be given to industrialists for the local processing of minerals, with the establishment of :

primary processing plants: pelletisation and DRI production thanks to the availability of natural gas and electricity ;
secondary processing plants: smelters, refineries, etc. ;
third transformation (reclamation) factories: machining of parts, moulding (sand, permanent, lost wax, plaster and polystyrene foam), metal product factories, plaster and polystyrene foam), metal fabrication workshops ;

The Government is studying the option of building a new special economic zone dedicated to steel and metallurgy ("Cité du Métal").

Other opportunities exist in the research and development of promising new deposits.

Traces of gypsum have been discovered in the Bouenza department. Gypsum is a key mineral for the efficient use of the country's abundant limestone. in the country because it is used as an input in the manufacture of cement. At present, the Congo imports gypsum, while the country is moving towards record cement production with no fewer than five (5) cement plants that will eventually be operational. These include the Dangoté cement plant, located in the Bouenza Bouenza, with an expected production of 1,500,000 tonnes of cement per year.

Environmentally-friendly forestry, the promotion of forestry and agro-forestry plantations and agro-forestry plantations, and more advanced wood processing - these are the main features of the sector's policy in this area. of the sector's policy in this area.

Strengths and potential

12.8 million hectares affected by logging in Congo.
Abundant flora and fauna, including : 6,500 plant species, 200 mammal species mammals, over 700 bird species, 45 reptile species and over 632 insect species.
Most non-timber products not exploited and poorly known
Major growth sector: 2nd largest contributor to GDP and exports after oil.
Existence of a forestry code to encourage further wood processing (85% minimum)
Preponderance of sustainable management of forestry operations
Strong demand for housing and building materials on the national and regional markets

Investment opportunities

Sustainable forest management
Setting up units to recycle waste from forestry operations (pruning, skidding (pruning, skidding, bundling and shredding of forest residues, collection and pressing of wood chips)
Location of primary wood processing industries (slicing, peeling, sawing, etc....)
Location of secondary wood processing industries (furniture, plywood, paper, packaging, cardboard, carpentry, joinery, etc.)
developing an industry of wooden assembly kits that also incorporate different materials and enable the mass production of housing ;
State plantations for timber production with species for service wood and timber production ;
plantations with fast-growing species (Eucalyptus clones created and certified by forestry research, Acacia auriculiformis, etc....) for wood energy production ;
plantation for the production of service wood (poles, gaulettes, electricity and telephone poles, the waste from which is used as energy) used for energy) ;
plantations with local and improved species for the production of NTFPs (oils, resins, fruit and vegetables).

Assets
The construction industry is currently benefiting from a favourable climate for its development, due in particular to:
The policy of accelerated municipalization. The policy of accelerated municipalization ;
the country's social housing modernisation policy;
policies for major transport infrastructure construction projects (roads, bridges, railways, ports, airports) in the Congo, the DRC and throughout Europe. (roads, bridges, railways, ports, airports) in the Congo, the DRC and throughout the Central African sub-region (Cameroon, CAR, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad);
major construction programmes for energy production and transmission facilities, water and sanitation (hydroelectric dams, thermal power stations, electricity transmission lines power transmission lines, agricultural irrigation pipelines) in the Congo and throughout the sub-region;
of the reconstruction programme following the disaster on 4 March 2012.

Investment opportunities
Location of building materials industries
Construction, renovation and maintenance of buildings and other structures (social housing, service buildings, transport infrastructure, industrial equipment, agricultural works, etc. ....)
Establishment of manufacturing units for carpentry and ceilings
Location of industrial sawmills
Establishment of metallurgical industries
Establishment of metal industries
Construction of brickworks and tile works
Construction and public works company

The Republic of Congo is a member of CEMAC, an economic and monetary community in which six member six member countries use the CFA franc in common, and the BEAC, which issues the francs of the Financial Cooperation in Central Africa (FCFA), is the central bank of the six states. The fixed convertibility of the CFA franc with the euro has been guaranteed by the Banque de France since 1999, as was previously the case with the French franc.

Since then, the EUR/XAF rate has been 655.957. The advantage of this mechanism is that it provides the sub-region's monetary system with a high degree of stability and moderate inflation. stability and moderate inflation.

Investment opportunities
Investment in an agricultural bank
Investment in a development bank
Investment in an investment bank
Investment in the microfinance sector
Investment in the insurance sector
Investment in a guarantee fund to support promoters in setting up businesses in setting up businesses and/or supporting entrepreneurs in making new investments.
Investment in innovative financing such as mobile banking
Venture capital investment.

Congo's intention is to regain its title of "transit country". The transfer of goods between Brazzaville, the north of the country, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo the Congo River, which remains the only alternative on the Congo Brazzaville/Central African Republic Central African Republic. The development of transport infrastructure is therefore crucial.

Investment opportunities
Road transport : building, equipping, developing services and maintaining inter-city networks.
River transport : modernisation of the port of Brazzaville, secondary ports and the entire river network the restructuring and creation of river transport companies.
Air transport : As an airport hub in Central Africa, the Congo has renovated several airports in the country. There is therefore a great need for training in the various air transport professions.

In 2003, with the entry into force of the new Electricity Code, the sector was liberalised. It is now possible for private companies to manage the public electricity service by means of a public service delegation awarded by the State. awarded by the State, is now possible.

Investment opportunities
The Electricity Code states that the distribution, supply, import, export and sale of electricity may be carried out by private individuals, export and sale of electricity may be carried out by persons governed by private law. The strategy adopted by the Congolese government has been to concentrate on the generation and transmission segments, and to grant concessions for the distribution and transmission segments, transport and to concede the distribution and marketing segments to the international private sector.

Renewable energy - hydro, solar, wind, geothermal and biomass - is a sector with a future in the Congo. future of the Congo. The natural conditions for using solar energy are very favourable The average amount of sunshine is 4.5 kWh/m²/day, and the duration of sunshine is between 1,600 and 2,000 hours per year (with little variation by region).