Digital Inclusion and Automation: The Role of the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the State in Automating the Economy and Combating Corruption

Dr Mohammed Awad Mohammed Metwally**
In the previous two articles, we concluded by diagnosing the dangers posed by the growing parallel economy and the stagnation of traditional banking instruments. We emphasised that developing flexible investment products represents an essential and indispensable step towards restoring the confidence of depositors and those who keep their savings outside the banking system. Yet, important and necessary as these banking measures are, their impact will remain limited and their effectiveness partial unless they are supported by a broader strategic framework led by the state as a whole — one based on the complete automation of the national financial system and on transforming digital inclusion from a mere attractive slogan for electronic services into decisive technological sovereignty that reconnects every artery of the economy to the formal economic cycle and cuts off the sources of financial evasion and corruption.
The greatest challenge facing the construction of a cohesive national economy stems from the continued prevalence of direct cash transactions across most of the vital sectors of the state and society. This is where the direct national and professional responsibility of the Ministry of Digital Transformation comes to the fore, working in conjunction with the Central Bank and the key government ministries. It is no longer acceptable or effective for institutions responsible for digital transformation to confine themselves to representation at international conferences or the provision of fragmented and fragile software solutions.
What is required today is the launch of a rigorous implementation strategy imposing “comprehensive and mandatory automation” across all financial, banking and commercial transactions in the country. This should extend from the collection of government revenues, customs duties and taxes, through essential services and commercial outlets, to the regulation of transactions in both organised and artisanal mining and the gold trade — one of the largest channels through which cash circulates in the parallel economy outside the banking system.
This comprehensive transformation is not merely an academic proposition. Rather, it draws consciously on successful regional and international experiences in which the automation of value chains, export channels and mineral markets has enabled small-scale producers and investors to be connected to the formal banking network, bypassing parasitic intermediaries and parallel markets.
Building a cashless society that reduces dependence on physical currency requires the establishment of high-speed, highly secure digital infrastructure that makes electronic transactions through applications, digital wallets and bank cards easier, faster and less expensive for citizens and businesses than carrying and using conventional cash. When people find that their daily transactions, commercial dealings and payments can all be conducted seamlessly through secure digital channels connected to a unified banking network, the perceived necessity of keeping cash at home will gradually disappear. These hoarded funds will then flow naturally into formal accounts, providing the banking sector with a permanent liquidity base capable of financing development projects and productive activities.
The importance of comprehensive financial-system automation is not limited to attracting liquidity and bringing savings back into the banking system. It also constitutes a decisive strategic tool for combating financial corruption, money laundering, tax evasion and exchange-rate manipulation. Direct digital oversight makes it possible to trace capital movements and enhance the transparency of financial flows throughout the national economy. This closes the door to parasitic speculation and illicit activities that thrive on the absence of data and the opacity of direct cash transactions. It also provides economic decision-makers and planners with accurate, real-time statistical data upon which fiscal and monetary policies can be formulated with greater confidence and certainty.
The success of this strategic roadmap requires a close institutional alliance and high-level coordination between the Central Bank of Sudan, the Ministries of Finance and Digital Transformation, the banking sector and investment institutions. This alliance must operate according to a unified vision to overcome technical and regulatory obstacles and establish integrated digital platforms that guarantee both security and interoperability. The transition towards a digital economy and modern banking is no longer a luxury or merely an opportunity for improvement; it has become a condition for survival and a strategic objective for safeguarding national economic security and rebuilding what has been destroyed by successive wars and crises.
The path towards restoring confidence in Sudan’s banking sector begins with identifying the geography of cash circulating in the parallel economy, proceeds through the development of attractive investment products, and culminates in the comprehensive digital automation of transactions across both the state and society.
Once the integrated national will exists to implement these three structural pillars, Sudanese banks will regain their natural position as a principal artery driving economic development, and the country will be able to embark upon a new phase of stability, investment and sustainable growth.
** Academic Analyst and Economist affiliated with the Experts Centre for Development Studies and Crisis Analysis

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