Congo government proposes 14 pct budget cut for 2017

Democratic Republic of Congo's government has proposed a 2017 budget that would reduce spending by about 14 percent, Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo said on Tuesday. Matata told local radio station TopCongo FM the reduction was caused by continuing weakness in the price of key exports like copper and oil. Low commodity prices and production cutbacks at major mines forced the government to cut its economic growth forecast for this year by more than half, from 9 to 4.3 percent.