Guinea's military rulers have set an ambitious programme for their new government after last month's coup, aiming to clean up a corrupt economy, privatise utilities and review major mining deals.
Moussa Dadis Camara, a young army captain who seized power last month, named a government last night that includes army officers and technocrats but excludes most of the political and union leaders who have formed the backbone of previous cabinets.
In a 40-minute speech broadcast on state television, Mr Camara set out a far-reaching programme to overhaul the economy and the public sector in the West African country, the world's top exporter of bauxite aluminium ore with a third of known reserves.
"I commit myself to move ahead with revising the mining code and mining conventions in force, and with technical, financial and fiscal audits for the past five years by internationally regarded firms," Mr Camara, the leader of the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) junta, said.
He also said Guinea's state water, power and telephone services would be privatised through international tenders.
He had already pledged on December 27th, days after he led a coup following the death of authoritarian president Lansana Conte, that he would revise "defective" mining contracts. Mining is the main source of state revenue and hard currency.
Naming his new government, Mr Camara appointed a former finance ministry official as minister for audit and good governance and announced the creation of a new Audit and Oversight Committee for Strategic Economic Sectors.
Aiming to improve the army's professionalism, Mr Camara said military service would become obligatory for students.
The new government was named at the request of Kabine Komara, a former banking executive the military junta appointed prime minister on December 30th.
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Mr Camara and the CNDD seized power in Guinea on December 23rd following the death of Mr Conte, who had ruled since 1984.