Rapporteur of the Economic, Transport and Petroleum Committee in Shendi Locality, Abdul Qayyum Abdul Wahab, to (Sudan Events): There are Crisis Traders and we are trying to fight them

Sudan Events-Interview – Rehab Abdullah

The rapporteur of the Economic, Transport and Petroleum Committee in Shendi Locality, Abdul Qayyum Abdul Wahab Ali, reassured that there is an abundance of all consumer goods, stressing that the exit of goods from Shendi is done under a transit permit for some areas.

He acknowledged that there is an increase in bread prices, but he justified it by the high cost of making bread due to its association with the rise in the dollar, and considered it a natural matter because the country is in a state of war, noting that it was agreed some time ago that bakeries would bear some of this cost and accept a profit margin that would avoid losses.

In his interview with (Sudan Events ), Abdul Qayyum expressed his optimism about forming a portfolio to import strategic goods, which he considered to ensure the availability of goods at reasonable prices. More details in his statements below:

What are the tasks assigned to the Economic Committee?

The committee monitors the movement of goods and services within the Shendi locality, especially petroleum products and the quantities arriving at the locality’s fuel stations and gas depots.

As for diesel, we have more than 48 stations and this is done according to controls under the supervision of the Economic Committee, the Military Intelligence delegate, the Security and Intelligence Service delegate, the Supply Investigations in the locality, the Security Police, and the Standards and Metrology Authority (SDMO) delegate.

What is the impact of the repercussions of the war on the committee’s performance?

Shendi locality was affected by the general conditions of the country, as it hosted many expatriates, so there is an impact on the market, house prices, hospital congestion, and transportation and deportation sites.

What are the measures taken by the committee to address the economic reality?

The committee monitors all incoming goods and comes through a letter of need from the Economic Committee stamped by the Security and Military Intelligence Service The security police, according to which goods come into Shendi locality, and the owner of the goods acts through the economic committee to prevent monopoly and the leakage of goods outside the locality without controls or exaggeration in price.

Also, among the measures, any goods leaving this locality must obtain a transit permit from the economic committee.

To what extent are consumer goods in the locality secured?

There is no shortage of any goods, thanks to the efforts of the locality and the cooperation of traders and suppliers, and many areas are supplied from Shendi locality.

But there are complaints about the rise in prices of goods, particularly bread?

These increases are linked to the rise in the dollar, and this is normal because the country is in a state of war and the state is burdened with importing weapons and other things. Perhaps, however, the government has created many treatments in order to stabilize the exchange rate and is still looking for more measures.

As for the bread commodity, at the beginning of the war, a sack of imported flour was SDGs 7,000 and a sack of local flour was SDGs 7,500.

Now, a sack is SDGs 45,000 and it is normal that it affects the price of bread, addition to the rise in other costs and labor. However, it was agreed some time ago that bakeries would bear some of this cost within the framework of the national aspect, and accept a profit margin that would avoid losses.

Now, with the increase in prices, the bread industry is still not profitable, and now we are putting controls on them.

How does the control deal with a merchant who sells his old goods at the new increased price, addition to some merchants who, when they hear about the increase, refrain from selling their goods in anticipation of achieving more profits?

In fact, there are crisis merchants and we try as much as possible to fight them, but the merchant is also a citizen and wants to achieve a profit margin from his trade, but it must be reasonable.

In fact, merchants supported the battle of dignity and donated billions of pounds to the armed forces and the mobilization and they are still providing, and they provided these goods to the citizen with (risks).

Some merchants attribute the increase to their saying that fees are imposed on them?

There are no fees imposed.. These are old complaints from merchants from a long time ago, but it is not true. They have commercial license fees, business taxes, profit tax, and waste fees in exchange for providing a service, as the local authority removes waste from the markets daily and costs the state billions of pounds, and these known fees are the right of the state and are prevalent all over the world..

Therefore, it is illogical for merchants to use them as an excuse to increase prices.

Recently, fuel prices have increased significantly.. What are the reasons ? 

Previously, the state used to import fuel or provide hard currency to importers and large companies.

Now, companies import this commodity from their own resources, so it is linked to the increase and decrease of the dollar.

In order for these companies to continue importing these materials, gasoline and diesel are priced according to the dollar price.

Three weeks ago, the increase came and we sent it to the gas stations and it was implemented. The next day, a new increase came, and now the price of a gallon is more than SDGs 14.000.

But now we are optimistic after the federal government announced the formation of a dollar portfolio to import strategic goods, including petroleum products, in addition to the Ministry of Energy and Oil announcing new controls through state intervention to import fuel, which will reduce prices as profits are reasonable and do not affect the citizen. As for gas in particular, the subsidy was lifted about two months ago, due to the state losing revenues due to the war, as the price of a cylinder was 13-14 thousand per cylinder, now its price is SDGs 43.000

What measures have the committee or the locality taken to control prices from manipulation by some weak-willed people?

As for petroleum products, prices are set by the state and increase through the executive bodies in the state or locality, and these are certainly subject to oversight, but as for other consumer goods, oversight focuses on the need to secure the commodity and its availability in the market and be within reach, so it must be inspected and the situation measured through a study, and the prices of goods are linked to supply and demand and the dollar price.

To what extent does the Economic Committee look at incoming investments and their localization in Shendi?

By virtue of the committee’s formation, we have a specific role and costs, but on the locality level, there is an investment department responsible for the investment side, and there is a planning committee in the locality through which planning, documentation and provision of sites are carried out, and there is an investment map that has been presented to investors, industries, services or others, and the locality has made great strides in designing this site and is now in the implementation phase, and we hope that the locality will benefit from these investments, their capital and ideas to contributet o the development of the locality.