On 30 September 2022, the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Congo announced the exemption of 16 commodities from customs duties and Value Added Tax (VAT) where applicable, with the exception of community taxes, for a period of one year in an attempt to reduce soaring inflation. These products include staple foods such as wheat, refined vegetable oil, rice and powdered milk, and agriculture inputs such as fertilizers, seeds and animal feed.