Political reorganisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) may help to encourage the completion of the rail link to Angola. In July, DRC's 11 provinces were turned into 26, with each new authority seeking to impose charges on road haulage, in order to generate income. According to the World Bank, provincial governments in the country receive very little of the revenue that they are supposed to be given by the central government in Kinshasa, encouraging them to impose local taxes where possible. This will affect mining operations in what was Katanga Province, prompting miners to use rail rather than road transport. Katanga is the economic heart of DRC and the centre of its copper and cobalt mining industries, and has now been partitioned into four new provinces. Eric Monga, the Katangan president of the Federation des Entreprises du Congo, told journalists: "That's the big fear; that the new administrations will start to create new taxes to finance themselves. Mining companies are organising for a fight." Moreover, mining companies and the last governor of Katanga Province, Moise Katumbi, oppose the planned new mining legislation that will increase taxes and royalties on the industry.
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