The President of the Republic, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, inaugurated the “Suprême automobile” plant in Kinshasa on Saturday, June 10. The plant specializes in the assembly and manufacturing of Mercedes Benz bus bodies.
The establishment of this company in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a historic event that comes more than 30 years after the departure of the American automotive giant, General Motors, and marks the return of an automotive industry to Congo.
It is the realization of the vision of the Head of State, who aims to make the DRC a prosperous state through progressive industrialization.
“We are immensely pleased to see the automotive sector, which was once one of the flagships of the Congolese industry, finally revived because the government’s objective is to significantly reduce vehicle imports through local production and thus bring foreign currency back to the country,” said Julien Paluku, Minister of Industry.
This plant has a production capacity of 25 buses per month and meets the standards of the prestigious German brand, Mercedes Benz. “The DRC will now have its own high-end, robust buses equipped to face road conditions,” said Jérémie Agito, Production Manager at Suprême Automobile.
The company has created 500 direct jobs for young Congolese people. President Félix Tshisekedi, who was pleased with this development, wants to see more and more “Congolese technicians being trained to fill skilled jobs.”
The establishment of Suprême Motors is just the first step paving the way for other similar projects. It confirms that the improvement of the business climate in the DRC is a reality recognized by foreign investors.
source : Cellcom/ presidence.cd
