Yes. The DRC Mining Code requires all exploitation permit holders to implement an annual Plan de Développement Communautaire (PDC). The PDC is funded by the operator at a specified percentage of after-tax profit and must address community priorities in education, health, water supply, and economic development identified through formal consultation with affected communities.
Legal basis
The PDC requirement is established in the 2018 Mining Code and implemented through each project's Cahier des Charges. The Code does not specify a single percentage of profit for PDC funding across all projects; the amount is set in the Cahier des Charges for each specific operation.
The PDC is distinct from the Cahier des Charges itself. The CDC is the contract specifying obligations; the PDC is the annual programme through which community development obligations in the CDC are delivered.
How it works in practice
Operators must consult with affected communities to identify PDC priorities, implement the agreed programme, and report on implementation. For listed operators, PDC activities and spending are disclosed in annual sustainability or responsible mining reports. The EITI DRC reconciliation includes operator-declared PDC payments in its data tables, providing a public record of declared amounts.
PDC delivery is self-reported in most cases. Independent monitoring of PDC implementation exists at some operations (particularly where development finance lenders have commissioned social monitors) but is not a statutory requirement.
