Matata Ponyo Mapon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matata Ponyo Mapon
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| 23rd Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| In office 18 April 2012 – 17 November 2016 |
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| President | Joseph Kabila |
| Preceded by | Louis Alphonse Koyagialo (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Samy Badibanga |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 21 February 2010 – 12 April 2012 |
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| Prime Minister | Adolphe Muzito Louis Alphonse Koyagialo (Acting) |
| Preceded by | Atanase Matenda |
| Succeeded by | Patrice Kitebi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 June 1964 Maniema, Congo-Léopoldville (now Congo-Kinshasa) |
| Alma mater | University of Kinshasa |
Matata Ponyo Mapon was born on June 5, 1964. He is a politician from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He served as the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from April 2012 to November 2016. Before that, he was the Minister of Finance from 2010 to 2012. As Prime Minister, he also continued to manage the country's finances. Today, he is a Senator for the Maniema region. In May 2022, he started a political party called Leadership and Governance for Development (LGD). He also ran as a candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
Contents
About Matata Ponyo Mapon
Early life and school
Matata Ponyo Mapon started school in 1970 in Kindu. He finished primary school in 1976. In 1983, he earned his high school diploma from the Bwindi Institute in Bukavu. He then went on to study at the University of Lubumbashi. Later, he studied economics at the University of Kinshasa, graduating in 1988.
In 2016, he began writing his doctoral thesis. This is a big research paper needed to get a doctorate degree. His thesis was about how well a country manages its money and how that helps its economy grow. In February 2018, he earned his doctorate in economics. He received it from the Protestant University in Congo. Since January 2019, he has taught economics there. He teaches about big money issues in developing countries.
Plane accident in 2012
In February 2012, while he was the Minister of Finance, Matata Ponyo was involved in a plane accident. The plane crashed near the town of Bukavu. He was seriously affected by the accident.
His career in government
Working at the Central Bank
From 1988 to 2000, Matata Ponyo worked at the Central Bank of Congo (BCC). He was an economist there. He helped manage credit policies and national accounts. He was also part of the Monetary Policy Committee. He received special training from banks in other countries. These included the Banque de France and the International Monetary Fund.
Advisor and Director General
From 2000 to 2003, he worked as an advisor to the Ministry of Finance. He focused on big economic issues and working with international groups. He helped create the Central Coordination Office (BCECO). In October 2003, he became the Director General of BCECO.
Minister of Finance
In February 2010, Matata Ponyo became the Minister of Finance. He helped the Democratic Republic of the Congo improve its economic program. This allowed the country to have about 10 billion dollars of its external debt cancelled in June 2010. This means other countries or groups forgave money the DRC owed them.
In 2010, he started a program to make the financial system better. He hired young, smart Congolese people to work in finance. He was also the chairman of the African Caucus. This group brings together finance ministers from many African countries. They work with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. He was also the chairman of the African Trade Insurance Agency (ACA). This agency helps protect businesses in Africa.
On April 18, 2012, President Joseph Kabila chose him to be the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Prime Minister
During his time as Prime Minister, the country's economy grew a lot. The average annual economic growth was 7.7%. The average annual inflation rate also dropped to about 3%. Sometimes it was even less than 1% per year. Inflation is when prices for things go up. A low inflation rate means prices are more stable.
Matata Ponyo Mapon also worked to make the banking system stronger. He started changes to make the economy more diverse. This means not relying on just one type of business, like mining. He especially focused on helping the farming sector. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was seen as one of the most improving countries in the world. It also got better rankings in the human development index. This index measures how well people live in a country.
He resigned as Prime Minister on November 14, 2016. This was part of an agreement to let an opposition leader become Prime Minister.
Election observation missions
In 2018, the African Union Commission asked him to lead a group. This group watched the legislative elections in Togo. He talked with many people involved, like government officials and political parties. He made sure observers were in different areas to watch the election day. From February 2019, he also helped the Togolese government with its development plans.
In October 2020, he was again chosen by the African Union Commission. He led a group to observe the presidential election in Guinea. His group had 25 observers. They included ambassadors, parliament members, and people from civil society groups. They watched the election to make sure it was fair.
Books he has written
Matata Ponyo Mapon has written several books about economics and governance:
- 1999 : L'espace monétaire kasaïen - Crise de légitimité et de souveraineté monétaire en période d'hyperinflation au Congo, 1993-1997; L'Harmattan in Paris (France).
- 2016 : Pour un Congo émergent, Privé Publishing in Paris (France).
- 2016 : Qualité des institutions et résultats économiques en République démocratique du Congo : 1980-2015, L'Harmattan, Kinshasa (DRCongo).
- 2016 : Recueil des discours du ministre des Finances, Michel Lafon Publishing, Paris (France).
- 2018 : Plaidoyer pour la bonne gouvernance et le développement, Michel Lafon Publishing, Paris (France).
Awards and recognition
Honorary degrees
- He received an Honorary Doctorate in economics in 2016. This was from the Protestant University in the Congo in Kinshasa.
- He also received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Kindu in 2017.
Global sponsor of education
In 2014, he was named a Global Sponsor of Education. This was by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in Brussels. He received this honor because he showed great interest and care for the education sector.
Personal life
Matata Ponyo is married to Hortense Katchoko Mbonda. They have four children together.
Images for kids
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Matata Ponyo Mapon
See also
In Spanish: Augustin Matata Ponyo para niños
