Part 78

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 28 March 1995 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (83 total) Renaissance Party and allies 20, PRD 19, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 7, NCC 3, RDL-VIVOTEN 3, Communist Party 2, Alliance Chameleon 1, RDP 1, ADP 1, other 16

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders: as of February 1996, more than 80 political parties were officially recognized; the following are represented in the National Assembly: Alliance of the National Party for Democracy and Development (PNDD) and the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), Pascal Chabi KAO; Action for Renewal and Development (FARD-ALAFIA), Mathieu KEREKOU; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress (UNSP), Bruno AMOUSSOU; Alliance Chameleon; Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), Adekpedjon AKINDES; Alliance for Social Democracy (ASD), Robert DOSSOU; Assembly of Liberal Democrats for National Reconstruction (RDL), Severin ADJOVI; Communist Party of Benin, Pascal FATONDJI, First Secretary; Our Common Cause (NCC), Albert TEVOEDJRE; Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP); The Renaissance Party, Nicephore SOGLO

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lucien Edgar TONOUKOUIN chancery: 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 232-6656, 6657, 6658 FAX: (202) 265-1996

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador John M. YATES embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: 30-06-50, 30-05-13, 30-17-92 FAX: 30-14-39, 30-19-74

Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side

Economy -------

Economic overview: The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output, which had averaged a sound 4% in 1990-94, rose to 6% in 1995. Rapid population growth, now 3.3% per year, offset much of this growth in output. Inflation jumped to 55% in 1994 (compared to 3% in 1993) following the 50% currency devaluation in January 1994, but subsided gradually in 1995. Commercial and transport activities, which make up 37% of GDP, are extremely vulnerable to developments in Nigeria as evidenced by decreased reexport trade in 1994 due to a severe contraction in Nigerian demand. Support by the Paris Club and official bilateral creditors has eased the external debt situation in recent years. The government, still burdened with money-losing state enterprises and a bloated civil service, has been gradually implementing a World Bank supported structural adjustment program since 1991.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.6 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 6% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $1,380 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 36.8% industry: 12.6% services: 50.6% (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 55% (1994 est.)

Labor force: 1.9 million (1987) by occupation: agriculture 60%, transport, commerce, and public services 38%, industry less than 2%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $272 million (1993 est.) expenditures: $375 million, including capital expenditures of $84 million (1993 est.)

Industries: textiles, cigarettes; beverages, food; construction materials, petroleum

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity: capacity: 30,000 kW production: 10 million kWh consumption per capita: 25 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: corn, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, rice, cotton, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, livestock

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US

Exports: $310 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa partners: France, Morocco 37%, Portugal 14%, Spain, Italy, UK, US, Libya

Imports: $439 million (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum products, intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods partners: France 24%, Thailand 12%, Netherlands 7%, US 5%, China, Hong Kong

External debt: $1.5 billion (1993 est.)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January 1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991) note: beginning 12 January 1994 the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948