Economists to Sudanhorizon: Ongoing War Has Hindered Government Performance and Prevented Tangible Achievements

Sudanhorizon – Hala Hamza

Economic experts told Sudanhorizon that the performance of the “Hope Government,” as it approaches the end of its first year in office, has been largely devoid of tangible achievements, attributing this mainly to the continuation of the war.

Muhannad Awad, a member of the Exporters Chamber, said the government’s performance remained below the level required by the crisis. He noted that the government focused primarily on revenue collection mechanisms such as levies, bans on importing certain goods, the implementation of the Advance Cargo Declaration (ACD) customs system, and the “Baladna” platform program.

He argued that these measures were mostly aimed at tightening state control over revenues and monitoring, rather than developing a genuine economic recovery plan. According to him, the real priorities should have been increasing production, boosting exports, encouraging investment, and providing financing to producers.

Awad added that the government neglected to develop and implement supportive policies that would encourage producers to return strongly to economic activity, describing this as a fundamental flaw that contributed to delaying Sudan’s economic recovery. He stressed that agriculture should have led the recovery process through production, exports, and foreign currency generation.

For his part, economic analyst Al-Fatih Othman said it is difficult to fairly evaluate the performance of the Hope Government under wartime conditions, noting that the return of the capital from Port Sudan to Khartoum was itself considered a major achievement.

He said the government’s main accomplishment has been maintaining the continuity of the Sudanese state and ensuring the provision of essential services.

Another economic analyst, Kamal Karrar, stated that the Hope Government failed to achieve any notable accomplishments because the ongoing war prevented it from addressing economic challenges effectively.

He pointed out that inflation, rising prices, declining real wages, and other manifestations of the economic crisis have continued, while no concrete steps have been taken toward reconstruction or creating conditions conducive to citizens returning to the country.

Meanwhile, banking expert Walid Dalil said the government faced a severely damaged infrastructure due to the war during its first year in office.

He explained that one of the key approaches adopted by the government was crisis management and austerity measures to ensure the continuation of the minimum functions of the state. According to him, the government’s efforts focused on two main tracks.

The first involved the banking and monetary sector, particularly expanding electronic payment systems. In coordination with the Central Bank of Sudan, the government launched a flexible campaign to activate and develop electronic banking applications for money transfers, purchases, and remittances from expatriates, helping to overcome the cash shortage crisis.

He added that the authorities also implemented strict measures to curb currency speculation in the parallel market and attempted to channel financial transactions through official channels in safer states and cities.

Dalil further noted that the government applied austerity measures through merging ministries, reducing unnecessary public spending, and directing available resources toward security, healthcare, and relief for displaced people.

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