In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the state-owned maritime company Lignes Maritimes Congolaises (LMC) is preparing to expand its fleet with the acquisition of two new vessels, according to Board Chairman Lambert Mende Omalanga.
The announcement was made on May 6 in Matadi following a meeting with Kongo Central Governor Grâce Bilolo.
“I came to inform Governor Bilolo that we are in the process of acquiring two vessels to improve the working conditions of our provincial management,” said Mende, a former Minister of Communications.
The vessels have been ordered from shipyards in Rotterdam, Netherlands, as part of LMC’s 2023–2027 recovery plan. The strategy outlines the acquisition of five new vessels and second-hand multipurpose ships, financed by the Congolese government.
The overarching goal is to strengthen LMC’s role in foreign trade by increasing its market share in Congolese maritime shipping from 0.3% in 2021 to 2% by 2027, raising transported volumes from 45,000 tonnes to an estimated 395,195 tonnes.
To support its fleet expansion, LMC is also investing in key infrastructure projects. These include the development of dry ports in Matadi, Boma, Lufu, and Kinshasa, the enhancement of storage facilities in Dar es Salaam, and the construction of a new dry port in Kolwezi, Lualaba province.
The company also plans to acquire containers to streamline its logistics chain and improve the flow of trade.
LMC, founded in 1974 to manage international maritime transport for Congolese goods, once operated ten sea-going vessels. However, the entire fleet was liquidated around two decades ago due to financial difficulties.
As part of its revitalization, the government has authorized LMC to collect shipping royalties, a measure aimed at compensating the company for past operational losses and ensuring long-term sustainability.
