Cote d'Ivoire acts to counter rising oil prices

ABIDJAN, July 20 (Chinese media) -- The government of Cote

d'Ivoire Sunday announced a series of measures to counter the fallout of

rocketing oil prices.

Following consultations with labor unions, the

government brought down the price per liter for diesel from 785 African francs

(1.89 U.S. dollars) to 685 African francs (1.65 dollars). The price of lead-free

gasoline was left unchanged.

At the beginning of July, the Ivorian government had

increased the price per liter for lead-free gasoline from 615 African

francs(1.48 dollars) to 795 African francs (1.92 dollars), while the price per

liter of diesel was raised from 545 African francs (1.31dollars) to 785 African

francs (1.89 dollars).

The government has also decided to cut taxes levied

on taxi drivers, and provide transportation subsidies to civil servants across

the country.

The various measures will cost the authorities 200

billion African francs (4.82 billion dollars). The money will mainly come from

salary cuts for cabinet ministers, control of officials' travel costs and the

cutting of some other budget expenditures.

In order to fight the rising oil prices, the

government in April began to implement three-month price control policies, which

were extended for another three months in early July.