ongo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined
drastically since the mid-1980s. The new government instituted a
tight fiscal policy that initially curbed inflation and currency
depreciation, but these small gains were quickly reversed when the
foreign-backed rebellion in the eastern part of the country began in
August 1998. The war has dramatically reduced national output and
government revenue and has increased external debt. Foreign
businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the
outcome of the conflict and because of increased government
harassment and restrictions. The war has intensified the impact of
such basic problems as an uncertain legal framework, corruption,
raging inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy
and financial operations. A number of IMF and World Bank missions
have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic
plan but associated reforms are on hold.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $31 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -15% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $600 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 58%

industry: 17%

services: 25% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 540% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 14.51 million (1993 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services
19% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $269 million

expenditures: $244 million, including capital expenditures of $24
million (1996 est.)

Industries: mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing,
consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes,
processed foods and beverages), cement

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 5.268 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 2.05%

hydro: 97.95%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 4.55 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 404 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 55 million kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea,
quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn,
fruits; wood products

Exports: $960 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, cru