The cost of the economic support to the 540,000 low-income families registered in the National Registry will be of around 64 million dollars, the government´s sopkesman, Oumar Gueye, revealed, after the cabinet meeting today.

We are doing everything possible to avoid an explosion in the prices of basic food basket products and among the measures are the creation of a price support scheme for wheat and the temporary elimination of import taxes on some products, the official added.

Among the products whose prices have exploded in recent weeks in Senegal is that of cooking oil, which rose from 18,000 cfa francs, some 29 dollars, to 27,000 units of Senegalese currency, equivalent to more than 41 euros per five liters.

But the most painful increase is that of rice, a staple on Senegalese tables, the price of which fluctuates daily, making it unaffordable for the budgets of low-income families.

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