Government Agencies Obstruct Sudanese Exports
Sudan Events – Rehab Abdullah
Member of the Chamber of Commerce, Ibrahim Al-Kinani, confirmed that Sudanese exports decreased during the period of war in Sudan by 75%, based on the information in the chamber. He attributed this during his talk to (Sudan Events) the first month of the war, during which procedures faltered due to the state’s wheels stopping.
However, he revealed that they were exposed after that to major obstacles from government agencies, including the Ministry of Forests and the Ministry of Zakat, which takes 25% of the value of the products, customs, specifications, and taxes.
In addition, he added that government agencies considered all fees paid before the war invalid and imposed new fees, especially the Ministry of Forests, indicating that this increased the cost of exports by 30%. This was in addition to the issues that faced the exchange rate, where he criticized the Bank of Sudan and other banks and their delay, along with the Ministry of Commerce, in export procedures. He said: “The Bank of Sudan could not keep up until two months after the beginning of the war.”
Al-Kinani also held the Bank of Sudan responsible for the non-arrival of export proceeds, as he considers the conditions normal, and the proceeds are supposed to come at the official price. At the same time, the exchange rate deteriorated significantly, as the value of the Sudanese pound worsened by 50% because its price today exceeded one thousand pounds. He expects the economy to continue declining, pointing out that international funds expected the Sudanese economy to slow down. Still, he warned of a collapse in that the state can now not pay salaries.
