The UK Minister for Trade and Development has announced the country will double its funding from £38m to £76m for road development programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The funds will be used in DRC’s ‘Pro-Routes’ roads programme financed by the government of the DRC, the World Bank and other donors along with UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).

The programme will help the DRC government establish a ‘second generation road fund’ through tax on petrol and diesel sales, helping the private sector carry out road maintenance and develop a road strategy for the future.

The UK hopes the renovated roads will improve law and order in the country as well as boost the economy by helping farmers transport produce.

At present the DRC has only 2,000km of road paved out of its total 152,400km road network, according to DFID.