gh 21535
FAX: [243] (88) 43805, ext. 2308 or 43467

Flag description: light blue with a large yellow five-pointed star in
the center and a columnar arrangement of six small yellow five-pointed
stars along the hoist side

Economy

Economy - overview: The economy of Democratic Republic of the Congo
has continued to disintegrate, although former Prime Minister KENGO
had had some success in slowing the rate of economic decline. While
meaningful economic figures are difficult to come by, the high rate of
inflation, chronic large government deficits, and plunging mineral
production have made it one of the world's poorest countries. Most
formal transactions are conducted in hard currency as indigenous bank
notes have lost almost all value, and a barter economy now flourishes
in all but the largest cities. During the bitter civil strive of
1996-97 most individuals and families have hung on grimly through
subsistence farming and petty trade. The new KABILA government will be
hard pressed to meet its financial obligations to the IMF or to put in
place the financial measures advocated by it. Improved political
stability would boost the country's long-term potential to effectively
exploit its vast mineral and agricultural resources.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $16.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -0.7% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $400 (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 59%
industry: 15%
services: 26% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 542% (1995)

Labor force:
total: 14.51 million (1993 est.)
by occupation : agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991
est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $479 million
expenditures : $479 million, including capital expenditures of $99
million (1996 est.)

Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including
textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages),
cement, diamonds

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Electricity - capacity: 2.83 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 5.48 billion kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 87 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine,
cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood
products

Exports:
total value : $1.47 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil
partners: Belg