Oh, Congo
World Bank DRC Public Expenditure Review, 2008:
Even if adequate financing [for the DRC education sector] were available in the near future, the current system could ensure neither the appropriate allocation of resources nor proper implementation of same. There are many reasons for this. First of all, the limited resources available to the education sector are not allocated in line with the priorities set by government policy, nor are they fairly distributed among the country’s different geographic areas and social strata. Budget preparation is not carried out on the basis of a sector policy and an action plan backed up with figures. The technical departments of the various education ministries are not involved in preparing the national budget, nor the commitment plan. Secondly, expenditures are currently executed (starting at the Treasury) through a very lengthy physical chain of transfers of assets. Logistical constraints (in terms of transportation and accessibility) and the weak presence of commercial banks in the country underlie this mode of payment. Thirdly, difficult living conditions and years of poor governance and impunity have created a climate conducive to the misappropriation of funds; thus, the physical and regular transfer of liquid assets does not by itself provide safeguards. There is currently no reliable tracking of expenditures (starting at the Treasury) to verify the use of public funds. Any increase in the amount of spending to be accomplished through this system is likely to generate more problems than solutions.
