Militias Impose Fees on Business

Sudan Events – Rehab Abdullah

Merchants who are still living in Khartoum and exercise their profession have revealed that unidentified armed men impose fees and taxes on merchants in the market places, normally in the peripheral Khartoum State areas. The merchants, upon paying could then carry out their work.
One merchant in Al-Kalakla market place, Gaddafi Suleiman, said in a telephone call with (Sudan Events) that these armed people are forcing merchants to pay daily fees that vary between 10-20 thousand pounds, indicating that they, as merchants, are often unable to sell for more than 20 thousand pounds per day.
He attributed this to weak purchasing power and that very few people frequent the market place nowadays. He stressed that imposing fees reflect definitely and causes increase in the prices of goods, also one has to consider the fact that the people are affected by the lack of cash and liquid money. There are also fear about widespread circulation of counterfeit currencies that have largely invaded the markets, especially the 500 pound denominations.