The five-year Essor Programme was launched by a consortium headed by Pricewaterhouse. Essor acted at meso (business associations) and macro (government) levels to improve the incomes of the poor through the development of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)—including those that are women- and youth-owned and those in rural areas—through reforms to the country’s investment climate and policies.
Essor’s workstreams focused on:
Implementing the Organisation of the Harmonisation of the Business Law in Africa (OHADA), an initiative that comprises 17 countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC);
Combatting corruption;
Improving access to electricity at the provincial level; and
Expanding access to finance (Essor A2F), the workstream implemented by DAI.
Essor A2F Sample Activities
Assist the Ministry of Finance to develop an MSME-specific chapter inside the first National Financial Inclusion Strategy.
Support the National Financial Education Programme.
Provide exclusive technical assistance aimed at effective market liberalisation through an inclusive insurance-enabling environment following the DRC’s adoption of a new insurance code.
Essor A2F Select Results
Developed a Collateral Registry IT tool that allows data gathering, sharing, and management of information on borrowers’ collateral by financial institutions.
Designed financial literacy modules to train potential lessors and lessees in the DRC on how debt, credit, and leasing works.
Ongoing assistance to the Banque Centrale du Congo led to the bank’s “Instruction,” or implementing measures, to financial institutions regarding leasing.