Port Sudan workers decry privatisation

Sea port workers in Red Sea state have reiterated their categorical rejection of the Sudanese government programme of privatising the southern port in Port Sudan. They decry the results thus far.

In a statement issued on behalf of the group, they criticised the government for embarking on privatising the port and disregarding the Port Workers’ Union.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga, a spokesman for the group called on the government to act on developing the corporation rather than separate the southern port from the administration of the corporation, and to develop a special administration for utilisation of the revenues.

They explained that the Philippine company that has received the administration of the southern port during the last period has not achieved much success.

Privatisation

He warned the Ports Corporation of the fate of the shipping lines after its privatisation and expressed surprise at the government’s resort to the privatisation of these profitable institutions.

Last week, Abdallah Musa, a leading union member in eastern Sudan said: “The government, which has sold the country's resources and manipulated them, is now moving towards selling or renting ports to foreign companies in secret deals whose details, terms and the form in which it was agreed upon is not known”.

He stressed that this issue “should not be hidden in accordance with corrupt deals, but should involve all workers in the Sudanese ports and all residents of eastern Sudan in general, in addition to its political forces, civil organisations and national figures…” and that “the port is a vital part of Sudan's policies that cannot not be handed over to a foreign country to manipulate it.”