Pharmacists brand Bank of Sudan’s Dollar decision ‘catastrophic crime’

The Sudanese Committee of Pharmacists warn that the decision by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBOS) to free the exchange rate of the US Dollar for the import of medicines, remittances of expatriates, and flights of foreign companies, will have dire effects on public health.

The Committee of pharmacists has described the decision as “a catastrophic crime against the citizen who has been paying the bill of treatment out of his own pocket.” The Committee warned that the decision “will seriously affect the health of citizens”.

Economic analyst Kamal Karrar has confirmed that the decisions will definitely lead to a rise in prices of imported goods, and an acute worsening of the economic crisis.

He  accused the government of not being serious and responsible in addressing the problem facing the citizens. He pointed out that the decisions came in response to the dictates of the World Bank terms and conditions.

Pharmacists Association President, Dr Salah Ibrahim has rejected the decision and stressed that it would lead to an increase in the price of medicines by 100 per cent.

'Some will die'

Nasri Morgos, Chairman of the Pharmacies’ Department Consumer Protection Association, said that the decision will affect poor patients in need for medication, “some of whom will inevitably die because they cannot afford medicines”.

Economists agree that the decision to free the Dollar price of medication would have a tough effect on the public, even a threat to their lives.

While a number of callers told Radio Dabanga that the burden will fall on them, and they will then resort to the use of traditional medicines.

They scoffed that government officials are not concerned with the peoples’ health “because they get treatment outside Sudan at the taxpayer’s expense”.

Measures

The remittances sent home by Sudanese expatriates form the largest source of hard currency for the country, according to economic analyst Abdelhadi Ibrahim Abdallah.

The Sudanese government recently agreed to a package of measures proposed by the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Sudan to curb the fast rise of the US Dollar on the black market during the past five months. Decisions to stop the import of certain types of consumer goods, “in order to reduce the importation bill”, will include types of cars, children's toys, plastic pots, ornamental trees, and some varieties of vegetables and fruits.

Finance Minister Badreldin Mahmoud announced in September that his Ministry will refrain from intervening in the exchange rate of the Sudanese Pound against the foreign currency.