Kabwelulu, who has served in the post since February 2007, will leave his post on Thursday, he said by email. Finance Minister Henri Yav Mulang will serve as head of the department on an interim basis, while Kabwelulu said he’ll serve as a lawmaker, after being elected to parliament last year.

Kabwelulu presided over a controversial revision of Congo’s mining laws last year that increased royalties and imposed new taxes. Mining companies including Glencore Plc, which operates

the world’s biggest cobalt mine in Congo, have opposed the changes.