The 7th Katanga Business Meeting (KBM) recently opened in Lualaba province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), under the theme “Investing in a Sustainable Future for a Winning Africa”. The forum covered topics including mining, energy, infrastructure, logistics and finance, bringing together a wide range of political and business figures and industry representatives from the DRC and the international community.

With its notable social responsibility achievements and professional, pragmatic insights into the industry, TFM became one of the most closely watched companies during the forum.

On the opening day of the forum, Daniel Mukoko Samba, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy of the DRC, together with Fifi Masuka Saini, Governor of Lualaba Province, made a special visit to the TFM stand. The two leaders took their seats in the stand’s reception area to hear the TFM team’s presentation on the company’s social responsibility outcomes.

Led by John Woto, TFM’s Deputy General Manager, the TFM representative team delivered a systematic presentation covering the company’s operational results, social contributions and industry development. The TFM team expressed its appreciation to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Governor for their sustained efforts to improve the business environment, and noted its hope that the government would further strengthen the stability of energy supply to support the longterm, steady operations of companies.

Governor Fifi Masuka Saini focused on understanding TFM’s contribution data to the economic and social development of the DRC over the years. From the start of the project in 2006 through 2025, TFM has contributed approximately US$8.257 billion in various taxes and fees, providing strong support for national fiscal revenue. TFM has also created nearly 20,000 local jobs in the DRC, injecting powerful momentum into improving livelihoods and driving local economic development.

Deputy Prime Minister Daniel Mukoko Samba and Governor Fifi Masuka Saini expressed their high recognition for the series of results TFM has achieved in fulfilling its social responsibilities, and also showed their concern over the practical challenges TFM currently faces regarding energy security and the business environment.

During the forum, Ms. Soraya Aziz Moto, Director General of the Electricity Sector Regulatory Authority (ARE), and Mr. Germain Pungwe Mabwe, Chairman of the Lualaba Provincial Federation of Enterprises (FEC), also visited the TFM stand. Ms. Soraya provided the TFM team with a detailed introduction to ARE’s critical functions in driving energy sector reforms, optimizing industry regulation and promoting investment recovery. Mr. Germain stated that the FEC will continue to play its role as a bridge, actively safeguarding the rights and interests of FEC member companies such as TFM, and contributing to the continuous improvement of the business environment in the DRC.

At a closeddoor roundtable themed “The Congolese Cobalt Market: Strategic Diagnosis and Regulatory Outlook”, TFM actively offered its recommendations. Mr. Bin Nassor, Senior Advisor to TFM and Chairman of the Chamber of Mines in the DRC, and Mr. Hugo Sinza, TFM’s Director of External Affairs, engaged in indepth exchanges with a number of mining company leaders and industry organization representatives. They proposed that future regulatory mechanisms should adhere to the principles of “transparency, consensusbuilding and predictability”, while balancing technical soundness and investment attractiveness, achieving a dynamic equilibrium between regulated development and market vitality.