Côte d'Ivoire
Ivorians shocked by President's salary

afrol News, 20 July - Ivorian President, Laurent Gbagbo, this week complied with one of his election promises when revealing how much he and his ministers earn. While the move to reveal the amount is welcomed in the press, the dominant reaction is one of shock over the high numbers. "How can it be that the President of poor Côte d'Ivoire earns more than the President of rich France," everybody asks. 

The monthly salary of socialist President Gbagbo is 9.5 million franc CFA (about euro 15,000). The Ivorian ministers earn between four and seven million franc CFA a month. Meanwhile, the minimum wage in Côte d'Ivoire is 35,000 CFA francs a month (about euro 55). 

Abidjan-based 'Notre Voie', a daily close to the government party, mostly comments on the victory of transparency gained by the new openness; the wages of the country's leader have never been unveiled before. "This is good governance," unemployed Assio Franck told the newspaper, not commenting on the amount of the salary. "Nine million for a President, that's nothing extraordinary," judge Laurent Assamoi had commented. 

Other media however spoke of excess. "Given the crisis the country is going through, 9.5 million is too much," an Abidjan resident told BBC. The independent daily 'Le Front' called the salary "a scandalous amount for a poor country." The oppositional 'Le Nouveau Reveil' commented this were "big salaries for good-for-nothings."

There were claims the Ivorian President was earning more than his French counterpart, which was the most shocking aspect for residents of the poor French ex-colony.

The left-oriented government of Laurent Gbagbo bases its policies on a programme of social reform. It has also initiated wide-ranging structural reforms, cuts in government spending and privatisation campaigns in cooperation with the IMF and World Bank, which has resulted in massive credits given Côte d'Ivoire this year. 

Sources: Based on Ivorian press and afrol archives

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