North Kordofan fees & levies ‘false’: Lawyer

A legal specialist has branded a raft of fees and levies imposed by Sudan’s North Kordofan – ostensibly to fund ‘development and mobilisation’ – as ‘false’.

Lawyer Osman Hassan Saleh told Radio Dabanga that the imposition of the fees and levies “have not been reflected in any improvement in services, or benefit to citizens’ lives in the state”.

The Governor of North Kordofan, Ahmed Haroun, has imposed fees ranging from SDG3-10 ($0.50-1.65) for each school student in the state in support of what he termed a “development and mobilisation campaign” in the state. They include a monthly salary deduction of SDG150 ($25) from workers, an increase of SDG2 per gallon of fuel, as well as the imposition of a monthly levy of SDG150 ($25) on each family in the state.

Saleh highlights the ongoing problems with regard to drinking water in the state, “as well as the establishment of the hospital, which is at a standstill,” and demands that the Governor reverses the measures.

He says that the inhabitants of the state have expressed discontent at the payment of the fees and levies, as “suffering of the inhabitants of North Kordofan is on rise amid the deterioration of the living conditions and services. Saleh highlights a 200 per cent rise in the price of bread and medicines.

Health and education staff

Several education staff in the South Kordofan capital of Kadugli voiced similar discontent. Speaking to Radio Dabanga on Wednesday, they the South Kordofan authorities deducted between SDG100 ($16.50) and 200 SDG ($33) from the salaries of staff and workers in the health and education for the month of July.

They said they were surprised by the deductions, and have filed complaints with the labour union to find out the reasons behind this “unjustified deduction”.

They described what happened as “unjust and contrary to the law that requires accountability”, and appealed to “the concerned state authorities and the federal government to urgently intervene to resolve the problem”.