“The 2015 economic situation confirms the good performance recorded for several years,” the president said during his State of the Nation address to parliamentarians in the political capital, Porto-Novo.
“The economic growth rate is expected to stabilize at 5.2 percent. This rate is higher than the 4 percent growth rate in West Africa; 3.8 percent for Sub-Saharan Africa and 3.1 percent for the world,” he said.
The growth, Yayi said, was achieved due to good agricultural production and dynamism in the manufacturing and services sectors.
However, Yayi deplored, despite the growth, Benin had not achieved the Millennium Development Goals with regards to reduction of poverty. In 2015, the country recorded a 40.1 percent poverty level.
The president attributed the high poverty levels to a high population growth rate currently standing at 3.5 percent and a high unemployment rate among youths.
Yayi said the government was making more efforts to reduce poverty by initiating direct cash transfers to the most poor population and constructing community-based socioeconomic infrastructure such as roads, health centers, schools and water access points. Enditem
Source: Xinhua
