State water and electricity monopoly to end

ABIDJANs – Ivory Coast will break up its longstanding electricity and water monopolies and introduce competition to reduce prices amid growing public concern over price increases, President Alassane Ouattara said.

The government decided in June to increase electricity prices by 16% over three years to keep pace with production costs.

Under the arrangement electricity prices were scheduled to increase by 5% in January. But some customers saw rates rise by as much as 40%, according to a government investigation, prompting Ouattara to cancel the January increases and call for a more competitive industry. –