Sudan budget 2021 approved by ministers

The Council of Ministers approved the broad guidelines for the general budget for the fiscal year 2021, along with the basis, schedule, and rules for its preparation in a meeting yesterday.

The council, chaired by Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, discussed the Ministry of Finance’s mandate over public funds and its supervision of all companies owned by the various military and security forces.

In August, the director of Sudan’s General Intelligence Service, Lt Gen Jamal Abdelmajeed, defended the existence of companies affiliated with the security apparatus. Sudanese activists are demanding the transfer of companies belonging to members of the General Intelligence Service and companies of Sudanese military institutions and generals of the Ministry of Finance.

The meeting also stressed the importance of the general budget’s compatibility with the transition of Sudan to civilian governance and the implications of removing Sudan’s name from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list.

The Council of Ministers stressed the need to learn from last year's budget problems, the turmoil of fiscal policies, and the short-term solutions that characterised the performance of the previous year. They set an objective to deliberate the budget according to known facts, resources, and pspecific projects.

The general budget for the fiscal year 2021, was presented by Minister of Cabinet Affairs Omar Manis, where he referred to the priorities of the transitional government, requirements for the implementation of the Juba peace agreement, and recommendations of the national economic conference that took place in September.

The budget is based on the tripartite programme for economic reform, the economic programme of the Forces for Freedom and Change, and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The monetary fiscal policies will be regularly reviewed and evaluated.

IFAD grant

Acting Planning Under Secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Amin Yasin, announced that Sudan received a grant and a loan of $80 million from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on Tuesday. The amount will help Sudan to combat poverty, realise food security, create work opportunities and protect the environment.

The announcement was made at the National Workshop about the Implementation of the 2030 Goals organised by the Financial and Economic Studies Academy in Khartoum.

* USD 1 = SDG 55.1375 at the time of posting, according to the daily middle US Dollar rate quoted by the CBoS, however effective foreign exchange rates can vary widely on Sudan’s parallel market.

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