Dr. Ahmed Al-Sharif to Sudanhorizon: Scrapping Planning Agency Ends Overlaps

Khartoum – Hala Hamza

Renowned economist Dr. Ahmed Al-Sharif stated that the abolition of the Planning Agency at the Ministry of Finance and the dismissal of its undersecretary come within the framework of reforms being undertaken by the Council of Ministers to improve the performance of the executive apparatus. He noted that the move does not appear to be related to the performance or competence of individuals, emphasizing that leadership positions are a responsibility rather than a privilege.

Two days ago, Prime Minister Kamil Idris issued a decision to abolish the Planning Agency at the Ministry of Finance and merge its functions into the General Secretariat of the National Council for Strategic Planning. The decision also stipulated the dismissal of Mohammed Bashar Mohammed Adam from his position as Undersecretary for Planning at the Ministry of Finance.

Dr. Al-Sharif highlighted the importance of economic planning in developing programs, research, and feasibility studies, especially given the country’s need in the post-war phase for an entity capable of formulating scientific medium- and long-term plans to implement reconstruction projects.

He suggested that the state leadership may have a vision for economic planning in the upcoming phase aimed at avoiding overlaps in programs and projects. This would require unifying national efforts, strengthening communication and coordination channels with relevant ministries, and ensuring the involvement of the private sector, given its important role in attracting funding.

He added that it is also crucial to develop feasibility studies to effectively utilize financing provided by international and regional institutions.

Al-Sharif further referred to a previous recommendation to establish a national council for economic planning, which was proposed during the economic conference held in Port Sudan in 2024. He noted that the recommendation called for greater focus on development planning and the establishment of performance indicators to measure sectoral plans adopted ضمن the state’s anticipated development strategy.

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