DRC: mining groups request postponement of mandatory employee shareholding

Mining groups in the DRC are seeking a postponement of the obligation to allocate 5% of their capital to Congolese employees, six weeks before the deadline. The measure, reaffirmed by a January circular from the Ministry of Mines, aims to strengthen local benefits from the mining industry, largely dominated by foreign investors. The DRC is the world's top cobalt producer and second-largest copper producer. According to unions, no mining company has yet complied with the reform.