The Burundian government will suspend the taxation of imported food items, as part of measures to tackle high living cost, Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza said on Monday ahead of May 1, Labour Day celebrationsAccording to his message to the nation on the eve of the International Labor Day, the suspension runs from May 15 to Dec. 31. "From May 15 up to Dec. 31 this year (2012), importers of food items will be exempted from paying taxes on food products. This initiative of the government will contribute to the reduction of food prices at the market,” said President Nkurunziza.Abandoning taxes on imported food items for six and a half months means "abandoning at least 10 billion Burundi francs (about 725,000 U.S. dollars),” he added. The imported food items to be exempted frombeing taxed include dry cassava, cassava flour, maize grains, maze flour, wheat flour, potatoes, beans, rice, onions, fish, ground nuts and palm oil. The Burundian president also pledged set up a commissionin charge of "controlling and monitoring prices” by July 1, the country’s 50th anniversary of independence.