Ivory Coast projects GDP growth of 8.9 pct in 2017

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast's government projected on Wednesday that its economy will grow by 8.9 percent in 2017 as it approved a 6.501 trillion CFA franc ($11.11 billion) budget for the coming year, a government spokesman said. The budget marks an increase of 12 percent over the current year, spokesman Bruno Kone told reporters at a news conference following a cabinet meeting in the commercial capital Abidjan. ($1 = 585.4100 CFA francs) (Reporting by Ange Aboa; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)