Central African Republic says it can't pay workers

BBC News, 1 May 1998

The government of the Central African Republic has appealed to trade unions not to organize strikes, while it continues negotiations with the International Monetary Fund try to find a solution to the country's economic crisis.

The BBC West Africa correspondent says the Central African Republic is bankrupt as a result of army mutinies in 1996 and 1997, which led to foreign investors pulling out of the country and government tax revenues plummetting.

Thousands of government workers including teachers and hospital workers haven't been paid for several months.

But a government spokesman Adel Deholo told the BBC that until a loan agreement was reached with the IMF, it would only be able to pay a small proportion of the arrears.