Hamdok to chair Sudan’s new Economic Crisis Management Mechanism

Yesterday, the Sovereign Council, the Council of Ministers, and the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) agreed in a trilateral meeting to assign Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok as the head of the new Economic Crisis Management Mechanism. A FFC leader predicted that the fuel crisis 'will end within a week'.

Hamdok will replace the Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council, Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemeti’.

Ibrahim El Sheikh, FFC member of the Economic Crisis Management Mechanism, said in a press conference after the meeting that the amendment came in response to “the voice of the street”.

The mechanism consists of two members of the Sovereign Council, namely Hemeti and Mohamed El Faki, the Ministers of Finance, Trade, Agriculture, Health, and Energy, the attorney general, along with five FFC members, including El Sheikh.

“The cooperation between the Sovereign Council, the Council of Ministers, and the FFC has sent positive messages to the street and has a marked impact on the economic and political situation,” El Sheikh reported. “The formation of the mechanism last Thursday led to a relative stability and a decline in the exchange rate of the Dollar.”

The mechanism was established after a proposal from the FFC to develop alternatives to solve the current economic crisis. The FFC suggested that all parties should bear full responsibility through one platform.

It will start its work this week, with addressing “all Sudanese, at home and abroad, to provide donations and loans to the government of Sudan”.

Fuel

According to El Sheikh, the time is not appropriate to lift subsidies on fuel. He pointed to alternatives to obtain foreign currencies, related to the recovery of the large amounts of money stolen by members of the former regime, the devolution of the financial management of the security and regular forces to the Ministry of Finance, and the transfer of the gold export and other export items to the Ministry.

As for the current fuel crisis, the FFC leader said it will end within a week. 12,000 gallons (4,2 litre) of petrol will be obtained within 24 hours. A number of companies have committed them to provide fuel in the near future.

In Port Sudan, capital of Red Sea state, the fuel and transportation crisis worsened on Tuesday.

Residents from the city told Radio Dabanga that the bus stations were overcrowded with people waiting in vain for transport vehicles – that were lining up in front of the petrol stations for long hours without obtaining fuel.

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