LOME, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Following the current global trend, food and fuel prices have continued to rise in Benin despite the implementation of a series of measures to contain the situation and relieve the common people of the adverse effects of the situation.

    Since the beginning of the year, the price of a liter of gasoline has moved from 500 CFA francs (1.2 dollars) to 650 CFA francs while the price of diesel has increased from 480 CFA francs to 640 CFA francs, according to official sources.

    This represents an average increase of 165 CFA francs per lite rof oil products, said a Cotonou-based analyst, who also noted that "the price of a kilo of butane gas had risen to 125 CFA francs."

    The current situation will accentuate poverty and cost of living for the Beninese people, "who will find themselves forced to tighten their belts further in order to cope with the increased cost staple foods," said the analyst, who was speaking during a public debate Thursday.

    At the beginning of the crisis, the government, which was concerned with the impact of the fuel prices on the populations, had announced a number of measures to deal with the situation, including subsidies that are today valued at about 90 billion CFA francs.

    "The subsidy measures have proved unsustainable... The government has reached the limit of all the potential fiscal and commercial measures that it can take to ease the pressure on prices," said yet another analyst, adding that the government had done its best to ease the situation.

    "The government can no longer push forward with any new measures as this would be at the risk of dismantling the macro economic balance in the country," Beninese Development Minister Pascal Koukpaki was quoted as telling reporters during a recent interview.

    "There is nothing more we can do. We are like an army that has run out of munitions. The crisis is serious and deep," said the minister, before left the stage for his Economy and Finance counterpart Soule Mana Lawani to announce a series of new measures intended to rein in on government expenditure.

    The new measures, which have the blessings of President Boni Yayi, will call on cabinet ministers and other senior government officials to restrict their lifestyles in order to save the government unnecessary expenditure.

    The measures will particularly reduce the standard of living for ministers and other government officials tasked with carrying out missions abroad. Thus, in accordance with the measures, only statutory missions and those for the meetings funded by the organizers will be allowed.

    In addition, Beninese ministers will now be required to travel in economy class in all their missions. Similarly, the appropriations for operating expenses excluding payroll (electricity, telephone...) of all ministries will be reduced by a quarter for the rest of fiscal year 2008.

    According to the finance ministry, which was tasked with designing and overseeing the implementation of the new measures, the government is also set to reduce the number of vehicles at the disposal of ministers and government officials.

    Benin, a tiny country, which is also one of the poorest in the world, was largely spared violence when almost the whole of West and Central Africa erupted in riots and street protests over food and fuel prices early this year.

    LOME, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Following the current global trend, food and fuel prices have continued to rise in Benin despite the implementation of a series of measures to contain the situation and relieve the common people of the adverse effects of the situation.

    Since the beginning of the year, the price of a liter of gasoline has moved from 500 CFA francs (1.2 dollars) to 650 CFA francs while the price of diesel has increased from 480 CFA francs to 640 CFA francs, according to official sources.

    This represents an average increase of 165 CFA francs per lite rof oil products, said a Cotonou-based analyst, who also noted that "the price of a kilo of butane gas had risen to 125 CFA francs."

    The current situation will accentuate poverty and cost of living for the Beninese people, "who will find themselves forced to tighten their belts further in order to cope with the increased cost staple foods," said the analyst, who was speaking during a public debate Thursday.

    At the beginning of the crisis, the government, which was concerned with the impact of the fuel prices on the populations, had announced a number of measures to deal with the situation, including subsidies that are today valued at about 90 billion CFA francs.

    "The subsidy measures have proved unsustainable... The government has reached the limit of all the potential fiscal and commercial measures that it can take to ease the pressure on prices," said yet another analyst, adding that the government had done its best to ease the situation.

    "The government can no longer push forward with any new measures as this would be at the risk of dismantling the macro economic balance in the country," Beninese Development Minister Pascal Koukpaki was quoted as telling reporters during a recent interview.

    "There is nothing more we can do. We are like an army that has run out of munitions. The crisis is serious and deep," said the minister, before left the stage for his Economy and Finance counterpart Soule Mana Lawani to announce a series of new measures intended to rein in on government expenditure.

    The new measures, which have the blessings of President Boni Yayi, will call on cabinet ministers and other senior government officials to restrict their lifestyles in order to save the government unnecessary expenditure.

    The measures will particularly reduce the standard of living for ministers and other government officials tasked with carrying out missions abroad. Thus, in accordance with the measures, only statutory missions and those for the meetings funded by the organizers will be allowed.

    In addition, Beninese ministers will now be required to travel in economy class in all their missions. Similarly, the appropriations for operating expenses excluding payroll (electricity, telephone...) of all ministries will be reduced by a quarter for the rest of fiscal year 2008.

    According to the finance ministry, which was tasked with designing and overseeing the implementation of the new measures, the government is also set to reduce the number of vehicles at the disposal of ministers and government officials.

    Benin, a tiny country, which is also one of the poorest in the world, was largely spared violence when almost the whole of West and Central Africa erupted in riots and street protests over food and fuel prices early this year.