The transactional document was signed on October 30 in Brazzaville by the director general of the National Social Security Fund (Cnss), Evariste Ondongo and the president of the Collective of Economic Operators of Congo (Copéco), Josephat Roger Obesse. It should allow the two parties to find a compromise with a view to alleviating the measures of forced recovery of the debt of social security contributions relating to the clearance of the State’s domestic debt.
This memorandum of understanding falls within the perspective of the payment of domestic commercial debt recently announced by the Club de Brazzaville. The main goal is to define the terms in which the Cnss and Copéco will settle definitively and amicably the disputes between them before the courts.
“The memorandum of understanding which has just been signed is in fact the result of negotiations between the Cnss and Copéco, with a view to the payment of the domestic commercial debt. We are not forgetting that the economic operators of the Congo have accumulated a lot of social debts, so it was a question of negotiating with the CNSS, so that companies in the private sector can benefit from the relief ”, declared Serge Edgard Bonguelé, Copeco communications manager.
Copéco has undertaken to pay the CNSS all sums of money due in respect of social contributions, relating to the discharge of the State’s domestic debt. Following the agreement, the parties decided on the percentage to be deducted from the amounts owed by each of the debtors for social security contributions.
“There are several phases in the MOU and it varies in terms of the amounts. It is on a case-by-case basis, from 100 thousand FCFA to 19 million FCFA. There is 50% which will be deducted payable; a schedule will be signed and the rest that is not on the principal will be paid in twelve months. This is a commitment that we take solemnly because one of the conditions of the Club de Brazzaville is economic recovery, ”explained Serge Edgard Bonguelé.
In addition, Copéco orders the financial institutions concerned to pay the said domestic debt, in particular LCB Bank, UBA Bank, EcoBank, BSCA, Mucodec, Banque Postale du Congo, Société Générale, Crédit du Congo, BCI, BCH and the BGFI Bank to proceed with the cantonment and the payment of all debts due in principal, corresponding to the amount due by each of the State’s creditors, in respect of social contributions.
To this end, Josephat Roger Obesse welcomed this agreement which will help revive the national economy through the settlement of the domestic debt. For his part, the director of the Cnss, Evariste Ondongo, recalled that this fund as well as the economic operators have accumulated a large debt under the social contribution. “If the CNSS were to start withdrawing all social contributions, we are going to suffocate economic operators and this would in reality be an obstacle to the government’s desire to be able to revive the national economy,” he said.
