L'IDEF vous informe de la publication à la « Revue du Droit des Affaires en Afrique », (RDAA) en septembre 2017, de l'article suivant :

« RD CONGO - NOUVELLE LOI SUR LA SOUS-TRAITANCE, Loi n° 17/001 du 8 février 2017 fixant les règles applicables à la sous-traitance dans le secteur privé » par Me Hubert André-Dumont, Avocat associé, McGuireWoods LLP, Bruxelles ; Premier Vice-président du Comité de Droit Minier de l'International Bar Association.

Abstract:

DRC: New law on subcontracting in the private sector is not without problems.

The Democratic Republic of Congo adopted Law No. 17/001 on 8 February 2017, regula-ting subcontracting in the private sector. It entered into force on 17 March 2017, with a one-year transitional period.

The Law defines subcontracting as “a service contract, consensual, onerous and writ-ten”. In civil law, a service contract is an agreement entered into by the contractor and the contractor's client to perform an agreed service, in return for remuneration.

The law establishes incompletely - and sometimes oddly - certain rules for sub-contracting activities in the private sector and restricts, with limited exceptions, sub-contracting to Congolese enterprises.

Subcontracting of more than 40 percent of the overall value of a contract is now prohibi-ted. This actually may result in less subcontracting, producing a negative commercial effect on the small and medium-sized enterprises the law aims to promote. Contractors may be less inclined to tender for larger projects, as they will not be able to subcontract much of the work and may end up with too many projects and not enough resources to complete them effectively. As a result, this law may encourage cartels of subcontractors, which is detrimental to the market and to clients and contractors.

Further, certain provision of the law could deprive contractors from an efficient recour-se against subcontractors for reasons of defects or bad workmanship.

Because of the law, Congolese SMEs may view subcontracting as too complex and formal a process and decide not to participate, which again would render the law ineffective.

Lastly, the question can be posed as to the compatibility of the Law with international conventions such as the WTO, COMESA, CEEAC, SADC, that promote international trade and free access to local markets.

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