Sudan budget proposal: Fuel subsidies down, salaries up

A budget proposal that will cut fuel subsidies and raise wages in the public sector was again discussed by the government today.

Minister of Culture and Information and Spokesman for the government, Feisal Mohamed Saleh, said in a press statement today that the government held an extraordinary meeting about the draft budget for the year 2020 yesterday. A sub-committee was formed to discuss options for gradually scaling back subsidies and gain support for these measures.

The budget proposal does not include cutting bread subsidies. The poorest people will receive direct support in 2020, Saleh said.

The government will also increase spending on health and education, to realise free treatment in government hospitals and free education.

The government spokesman added that the Council of Ministers decided on a Societal Dialogue.

“We will submit these issues to various sectors of people in the country, in order to hear their opinion as well. “We expect community dialogues, through all media, will start from today. The citizens will be well informed about the economic crisis, and about the available options to deal with it,” he said. “So the people will be our partners in treating the crisis.”

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