January 26 - 2021 KHARTOUM / EL FASHER / PORT SUDAN / EL OBEID / WAD MADANI
Bread and fuel protests continue in Khartoum (social media)
Yesterday, protests and road closures continued for the third day in a row in Khartoum and a number of other cities in response to the high prices and general lack of bread and fuel.
The bread crisis in Khartoum is reportedly caused by cuts in the allocation of flour to the state. In North Darfur, students demonstrated against the lack of bread, high transportation costs, and deteriorating education system.
The protesters closed off a large number of main roads, creating barricades and setting fire to car tyres. The streets they closed off included Street 60 in El Sahafa, another number of streets in Khartoum, and the east entrance to El Jereif Bridge.
January 21 - 2021 KHARTOUM
The SDG 200 note introduced in January 2019
The Sudanese government plans a raft of reforms to stimulate and boost Sudan’s ailing economy, rather than printing new currency, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Heba Mohamed says. These will include technical reforms, programmes to fight smuggling, combat inflation, and create investment opportunities.
Minister Mohamed was responding to questions from Radio Dabanga regarding the future financial plans of Sudan following its removal from the US State Sponsors of Terrorism List, as well as the expected visit by the US Secretary of the Treasury and Export-Import Bank of the USA (EXIM).
January 14 - 2021 KHARTOUM
Food insecurity in Sudan in Dec 2020-Jan 2021 (fews.net)
The annual inflation rate for December recorded 269.33 per cent compared to 254.34 in November. The US Dollar rate on the parallel market in Khartoum jumped to SDG 275 yesterday. Acute food insecurity will remain high in several parts of Sudan in the coming months.
Sudan’s Central Bureau of Statistics reported yesterday that the annual inflation rate increased by 14.99 per cent in December. The average inflation rates in 2020 amounted to 163.26 per cent compared to 51 per cent in 2019, an increase of 112 per cent.
The inflation rate for the Food and Beverage Group was 206.44 per cent in December compared to 203.13 per cent in November, while the inflation rate for imported goods in the so-called Consumer Basket reached 194.42 per cent in December compared to 181.70 per cent the month before.
January 11 - 2021 KHARTOUM
Acting Finance Minister Heba Mohamed (Social media)
The Economic Committee of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) has warned that the 2021 National Budget approved by the Council of Ministers last week will lead to an economic collapse of the country.
In an interview with Radio Dabanga, professor Mohamed Sheikhoun, member of the FFC Economic Committee, accused acting Finance Minister Heba Mohamed of presenting incorrect information about the 2021 education budget. The 2021 budget was approved by the Council of Ministers last week.
“The education budget is much smaller than the budget reserved for defence,” professor Sheikhoun he said. “The 2021 defence budget amounts to SDG 89.82 billion, which is an increase of 173 per cent compared to last year [not taking into account inflation], while education will have a budget of 16.2 billion, an increase of only nine per cent.”
January 8 - 2021 KHARTOUM
Cabinet meeting of the Council of Ministers, chaired by PM Abdallah Hamdok (File photo)
Yesterday, the Council of Ministers, headed by Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, approved the 2021 budget, with a total deficit of 1.4 per cent, and a reduction in government spending by 24 per cent.
The Finance Ministry will submit the 2021 budget at a joint meeting of the Sovereign Council and the Council of Ministers on January 10 “for final approval”.
Information Minister and Government Spokesperson Feisal Mohamed Saleh explained in a press conference that the budget has been subjected to many adjustments, after receiving comments from many parties, including the Economic Committee of the Forces for Freedom and Change and the parties to the peace process.