Central African Republic: fuel price protest persists a week after increase
Fuel prices at the pump rose again in the Central African Republic, with petrol moving from 1,050 to 1,150 CFA francs per litre and diesel from 1,250 to 1,400. The government says the increase is intended to address the fuel crisis and replenish state coffers amid treasury difficulties. A week later the rise has fed into transport fares and the price of goods, and the opposition, civil society and trade unions continue to demand a revision that President Faustin-Archange Touadéra defends.
Why it matters: The dispute over fuel subsidy removal in a low-income economy shows how energy prices transmit into transport costs, consumer prices and fiscal pressure, and it is being contested by opposition parties, civil society and trade unions.