• Foreign currency cash transactions banned; must go through banks
• Central bank cuts rate to 13.5% amid easing inflation

The Democratic Republic of Congo's central bank has decided to take exclusive control of the import of foreign banknotes, effective April 9, 2027. Central Bank of the Congo (BCC) announced the decision following a meeting of its monetary policy committee (MPC) on Thursday, April 9.

From that date, no commercial bank will be allowed to import foreign currencies. In addition, cash transactions in foreign currencies will be banned across the country and must be processed through the banking system.

The bank said the reform aims to strengthen the security of foreign banknote supplies, curb money laundering and terrorist financing risks, and standardize exchange procedures nationwide.

The measure comes as the DRC remains on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, meaning its framework for combating money laundering and terrorist financing still has gaps. To address this, the authorities have strengthened their legal and institutional systems in recent years.

Laws adopted in 2022 and their 2025 amendments impose stricter requirements on banks, financial institutions and businesses to improve the tracking of foreign currency flows. A central role has also been assigned to the National Financial Intelligence Unit (CENAREF), which monitors and analyzes suspicious transactions.

Easing of Monetary Policy Amid Stability

In a separate decision, the BCC moved to ease monetary policy by cutting its key interest rate by 150 basis points, bringing it down from 15% to 13.5%. The decision comes against a backdrop of economic stability and contained inflation.

The Congolese economy remains broadly resilient, the central bank said. Growth is projected to reach 6.2% in 2026, up from 5.8% in 2025, driven by the extractive sector and solid performance in non-mining activities.

Inflation has also continued to ease. At end-March 2026, it stood at 2.2% year-on-year, compared with 10.1% in the same period a year earlier. The bank noted, however, that price trends remain influenced by market expectations, demand for cereals in the country's southern region and certain seasonal factors.

On the foreign exchange market, the Congolese franc posted a slight appreciation of 0.04% on the parallel market but depreciated 3.08% against the dollar on the official market since the start of the year. The exchange rate stood at around 2,287.71 Congolese francs per dollar on the official market and 2,309.38 on the parallel market, according to central bank data.

The BCC reaffirmed the need to pursue economic policies aimed at supporting the structural transformation of the economy and durably consolidating the country's macroeconomic stability.

Charlène N’dimon