Sudanese Govt agrees 'emergency mechanism' to deal with economic hardships
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The Sudanese government on Thursday decided to set up an "emergency mechanism" to deal with persistent shortage of fuel, wheat, medicines and slump of the local currency.
For the third month running, Sudanese living in the urban areas and the national capital in particular are queuing daily to buy bread and get a quota of unsubsidised fuel without a sign of improvement on the horizon.
The Minister for Finance and National Economy on Thursday described the status of the Sudanese economy as that of “a patient who doesn’t take medication” when his prescription of lifting subsidies was rejected by the incubators of the current government - the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) and the Trade Unions Federations.
The FFC led the demonstrations in the streets against ousted President Omar Bashir and the Trades Unions crippled work in the government bureaucracy.
With the Sudanese currency slumping to record low of 119.9 Sudanese pounds the dollar, and an uncontrolled inflation looming, the cabinet and the Sovereign Council along with the political bodies supporting them on Thursday evening held a long emergency meeting at the Republican Palace to discuss the economic crisis and how to halt any further deterioration and secure the peoples' basis needs.
A statement read over the state run radio on Friday said that “an emergency meeting was held in response to the stifling economic crisis that has hit hard the revolutionary people of Sudan who deserve a better life for the sacrifices they made".
It said the joint meeting listened to a report on the current economic situation, strategic commodities and the deterioration of the value of the Sudanese currency.
The statement said that the meeting reviewed urgent, medium and long-term solutions for the crisis, and issued a decision in conclusion for the formation of “a higher Mechanism” to manage the current economic crisis.
This will be through implementation of an urgent package of measures for the provision of strategic commodities - fuel, wheat and medicine. It will also review the import and export policies, and provide urgent support for harvesting of crops of the winter agricultural season.
The statement made by the Prime Minister, Dr. Abdullah Hamdouk, said that the meeting paid special attention for preparation of a popular campaign for the Sudanese people inside and outside the country, to be launched during the coming days.
The statement hinted that some of these shortages were created by disgruntled elements of the former regime.
But “these obstacles made by the elements of the former regime will not hinder the efforts of the Sudanese people and their transitional government,” it added, without giving further details.
It is known that most of the economic joints of the country are still believed to be controlled by elements affiliated to deposed president Bashir, who is currently serving a two-year term for misappropriation of public funds.
It is also to be noted that despite an unprecedented support and backing by western governments for Prime Minister Hamdouk, there is currently little economic revelation on the ground or on the food table of the ordinary people.
It has become normal to see long queues of people waiting for public transportation, long queues of cars at service stations and long queues of women and children waiting to buy bread for the day.
Surprisingly, people tend to prefer this hardship to falling back to the time of Bashir, as social media comments and TV and radio interviews reveal.
-0- PANA MO/MA 6March2020
