(Bloomberg) -- Ivory Coast retained Finance Minister Adama Coulibaly and named Laurent Tchagba minister of water and forestry in a smaller cabinet, Secretary General in the Presidency Abdourahmane Cisse told reporters Wednesday.
The former hydraulics minister replaces Alain-Richard Donwahi. Forestry has become a key ministry as the West African nation seeks to expand forest area to 20% of its territory by 2030 in an effort to fight deforestation, a key issue that the world's top cocoa producer faces in order to keep exporting to the crucial European Union market.
Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly was appointed minister of mines, petrol and energy. Budget Minister Moussa Sanogo and Agriculture Minister Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani retained their positions.
There are 32 ministers in the new cabinet, compared with 41 in the previous one. That's the second time in a year that the size of the cabinet has been reduced and comes after Ouattara said last week he will cut the number of ministers to “strengthen government effectiveness and bearing in mind the current world economic situation.”
Newly appointed Vice President Tiemoko Meyliet Kone was sworn in earlier Wednesday. Prime Minister Patrick Achi was reappointed Tuesday.
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