Sudan government to cease cash payment by end 2018

The government of Sudan has reiterated its commitment to end cash payment for government services by the end of 2018.

All such payments will be made electronically (e-payment) from the beginning of 2019, the official Sudan News Agenct (SUNA) reports.

At a meeting Monday at the premises of Sudan’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in Khartoum, headed by the Minister of Finance Mohamed Osman Suleiman Al Rikabi and with participation of the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Tahani Abdullah Attiah, the Higher Committee on the Electronic Payment affirmed the adoption of the electronic payment system for all government services and the ending of payment in cash as of the beginning of next year.

Private sector involvement

The committee underscored involvement of the private sector in the programme to ensure the spread of e-points and mobile payment on a wide scale. The committee assured on the ongoing arrangements for the implementation of the government commitment to electronic payment at the level of government units and various state institutions with a view to complete the requirements of electronic services provision therein and ending payment in cash.

It was agreed on the importance of providing the necessary incentives for the dissemination of electronic points of sale in state institutions and business enterprises. The committee stressed the importance of e-payment for the government services, which helps to overcome the problem of liquidity shortage and ensures cash inflow into the banking system, secure of citizens funds, and facilitation of financial transactions through the technical systems as well as the facilitation of the transfer of funds directly through the available electronic payment systems.

Inflation

The Sudanese Central Statistics Bureau reported in June that the inflation in May was 60,93 per cent, an increase of 4.92 per cent compared with the average price hikes of 57.65 per cent in April. Last week, the US Dollar exchange price rose sharply against the Sudanese Pound in the parallel markets outside the country: the sale price of the greenback rose to SDG 44 for foreign transactions in the Gulf and to SDG 41.50 at home.

Cash shortage

In the past months, the country has experienced a shortage of liquidity and foreign currency, which has resulted in the automatic shutdown of ATMs.

IMF

Finance Minister Al Rikabi has called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help Sudan return its banking relations with the international banks after the lifting of the US economic sanctions.

This came at the closing meeting of IMF mission which visited the country during July 8-16, in the presence of the State Minister for Finance Tariq Hassan Shalabi, Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Sudan, Undersecretary of the Finance Ministry Mona Abu Haraz and the technicians of the Ministry of Finance and Central Bank.

Al Rikabi said that the visit of the International Monetary Fund mission came within the framework of the ongoing consultations between the Sudan and the IMF. It is noteworthy that the mission of the International Fund visited the ministries of finance, oil and gas, the Central Bank of Sudan and the General Administration of Customs and Taxation Chamber.

(Sources: RD/SUNA)