Gabon, under new regime, trims fat out of lunch

Reuters

By Linel Kwatsi Linel Kwatsi – Mon Jan 4, 1:47 pm ET

LIBREVILLE (Reuters) – Gabonese workers reluctantly gave up their traditional two-hour lunch breaks as of Monday under a government plan to increase productivity and help diversify the central African country’s oil-driven economy.

"A 30-minute lunch break is too short," civil servant Maurice Koumba, 30, grumbled on the first day of the new regime instituted by President Ali Ben Bongo, who won the election to succeed his long-ruling late father.

With 2010 output growth projected at a mere 2.6 percent, compared to the 10 percent annual growth the government is targeting, Bongo, whose election pledge was to promote an "Emerging Gabon," has set his sights on trimming a heavily bloated civil service and encouraging enterprise to diversify.

Under the new government ruling, the working day starts at 7:30 a.m. local time and ends at 3:30 p.m., an early finish to compensate for the loss of the generous two-hour lunch break common to francophone African countries, when shops and businesses routinely close.

"A break of 30 minutes will be taken, according to the appropriate rhythm of work, between 1130 and 1330," the directive said.

Previously, work started later in the morning, and, after returning from lunch, employees would leave at around 6 p.m.

Private companies and government agencies must conform to the timetable, but some professions say they should be exempt.

"It’s difficult for lawyers to stop working in the afternoon if they have a court hearing," barrister Jean Rémy Bantsantsa said.

A meeting between officials and business leaders will be held on Monday to discuss how the ruling, which was made public in late December, will be applied in practice.

Bongo is in a race against time to come up with new sources of revenue for Gabon, one of the few sub-Saharan countries to have successfully launched a Eurobond.

Initial steps to root out corruption, cap the salaries of the chiefs of state corporations and slim the size of a civil service have won plaudits.

While the impact of the new ruling on productivity is unclear, some welcomed the earlier end to the working day.

"It’s a good decision," said Yves Pambo, 32, another civil servant. "It will allow us to spend time with our families, to visit our parents, and to launch small businesses."

(Writing by Daniel Magnowski; Editing by Michael Roddy)