Establishing special economic zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo : in search of a sound legal framework

Abstract

The DRC has recently embarked on a new SEZ project. The country does not have a history of success with SEZs, however, much like other African countries. This paper investigates the past and current legal frameworks governing SEZs in the DRC, in an attempt to identify their weaknesses and strengths, with the ultimate goal of finding room for improvement and preventing the failures from the past from occurring again. Because the DRC cooperates closely with South Africa on SEZ regulation, the paper also delves into the South African experience, to see whether the DRC can already draw lessons from South Africa. The study then formulates a number of recommendations including that a new fiscal and non-fiscal incentive framework should be established.