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| Arabia |
| Protests quelled as Yemen increases fuel prices |
| 2014-07-31 |
| [ARABNEWS] Protests erupted in Sanaa on Wednesday and were dispersed by the army after the Yemeni government announced a rise in fuel prices, part of a bid to ease the burden of energy subsidies on the impoverished country's state finances. Witnesses and a medical source said a female protester was killed as the army had gun sex in an attempt to break up a demonstration near the presidential palace. Yemeni officials were not immediately available for verification of the incident. The government spent about $3 billion on energy subsidies last year, nearly a third of state revenue. Yemen has been trying for over a year to secure a loan of at least $560 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but the fund is pressing for subsidies to be slashed. Yemen's finance minister told Rooters in May that the Fund's board was expected to finalize the deal this month. However, there's more than one way to stuff a chicken... a similar attempt to raise fuel prices by the government in 2005 led to violent protests in which 20 people were killed and over 300 maimed. The measure was subsequently canceled. Along with pressure from the IMF, the reform has also become more urgent in recent months because frequent Death Eater attacks on oil pipelines have badly hurt Yemen's export earnings. |
| Posted by:Fred |