The Democratic Republic of Congo plans to issue a billion dollars Eurobond which will be invested in projects that will help boost economic growth, Bloomberg reported on December 18 citing DR Congo’s Prime Minister, Augustin Matata Ponyo. “We are in the process of working with external advisers to identify what is possible”, the Prime Minister said.

“It will allow us to mobilize funds to stimulate the economy growth through infrastructure investments,” he added.

If successful, the transaction will be DR Congo’s first Eurobond. DR Congo is rated B- by Standard & Poor’s, thus six levels below investment grades.

Congo’s government announced last November it has lowered its growth forecast for 2015 to 7.7% from 8.4% previously due to the fall in the prices of raw commodities as well as the lowering mineral production.

Authorities which initially planned for a 10.3% growth in 2015 lowered their forecast twice in August and June respectively as demand for raw commodities dropped as a result of slowing growth in China, and fall in prices of copper, for which DR Congo is first producer in Africa.