Belgium to pay salary arrears

The Belgian government is to pay Niger's civil servants their wages for June 1999, Reuters reported Finance Minister Saidou Sidibe as saying on state radio on Monday. Sidibe said his government was waiting for funds to be transferred from Belgium to pay the June arrears and that if payment went ahead without problems, Belgium would subsidise another month's salaries in the first quarter of 2000. The amount of money expected was not stated. Denmark has also offered to pay some wages due since May with a grant of about CFA 870 million (US $1.34 million), Reuters reported. A fall in the price of uranium, Niger's main export, has led to budget problems which have been exacerbated by the suspension of aid following a coup in April. Donors are beginning to return following democratic elections in November at which Mamadou Tandja was elected president, Reuters reported.