Finance Undersecretary: Committed to Strengthening the National Economy, Implementing Reform Programs

Khartoum – Sudanhorizon

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, Abdullah Ibrahim, has reaffirmed his ministry’s commitment to strengthening the national economy and continuing reform programs leading to this goal.

In his meeting with a delegation from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the Ministry’s headquarters in Khartoum on Tuesday, the undersecretary briefed them on the efforts to implement the roadmap for public finance reform, as agreed upon with World Bank (WB) experts.

He explained that among its most important components are the preparation and implementation of the electronic collection and payment system (Esali) and the online invoicing system, through national experts, and the completion of the draft public finance laws by a specialized national working group from the Ministry of Finance and relevant units, in cooperation with national experts and experts from the World Bank (METAC).

He clarified that the laws are framework law, and that detailed laws and regulations will be prepared to govern the relevant units.

The Undersecretary noted the phased implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system and the electronic collection of government revenues through the unified federal government account at the Central Bank of Sudan. This aims to enhance transparency and achieve the desired financial inclusion. He pointed out that this comes within the framework of coordination between the Ministry, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), agreed upon since 2021.

He emphasized the importance of external technical support to bolster reform efforts, particularly in the areas of governance of government bodies and companies, accounting systems, and technical assistance in development, project management, and training national personnel to develop plans and implement programs.

He also stressed the importance of these financial and accounting systems and the Public Finance Law for building an integrated Financial Information System (IFMS).

For her part, the head of the mission and public finance expert for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Manal Al-Sir, explained that the mission’s objective in visiting Sudan is to learn about the functions of the Ministry of Finance and meet with key officials to assess the current capacity in the field of public finance and the requirements for its sound development. The mission also aimed to discuss the most important needs and mechanisms for providing the necessary technical support for public finance reform.

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