The National Payment Switch Returns to Service: A Strategic Step Towards Rebuilding Sudan’s Digital Payments Ecosystem

Dr Marwa Fouad Qabani
Former Director of Marketing and Sales at the Electronic Banking Services (EBS) Company for more than 17 years
The return of Sudan’s National Payment Switch after three years of war marks a strategic turning point in the country’s economic reconstruction. It constitutes the national infrastructure that connects banks, payment service providers, financial technology (fintech) companies, and government institutions within a unified and secure network.
In the post-war period, the significance of its restoration extends well beyond the resumption of electronic payment services. It also has the potential to revitalise economic activity and improve the efficiency of liquidity management across the country.
At the banking level, the National Payment Switch enables funds to be transferred between banks in real time or near real time, reducing the amount of money tied up during settlement periods and improving the efficient utilisation of liquidity within the banking sector. It also lowers operating costs for banks by eliminating the need for multiple bilateral connections between each bank and every other institution, replacing them with a single connection to the National Payment Switch.
At the national economic level, an efficient payment switch accelerates the circulation of money throughout the economy. This stimulates trade, speeds up buying and selling transactions, and reduces dependence on physical cash, thereby lowering the substantial costs associated with printing, transporting, and securing banknotes—costs that have risen significantly under the exceptional circumstances experienced by Sudan.
Another major economic benefit is that the National Payment Switch serves as a key mechanism for attracting cash currently circulating outside the formal banking system. As electronic payment networks become more accessible, reliable, and convenient, individuals and businesses are increasingly encouraged to keep their funds in banks rather than relying on cash transactions. This, in turn, increases bank deposits and strengthens banks’ capacity to finance productive economic and investment activities.
The National Payment Switch also enhances the effectiveness of monetary policy by providing the Central Bank of Sudan with a more comprehensive view of payment flows and liquidity movements throughout the economy. This enables the central bank to make more informed decisions regarding liquidity management, monitor market activity more effectively, curb informal economic activities, and strengthen compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) requirements.
From a digital transformation perspective, the National Payment Switch creates a unified environment in which fintech companies can develop and offer their services according to common national standards, rather than having to establish separate integrations with each bank. This significantly reduces both the time and cost involved in launching new products, encourages innovation and competition, and makes Sudan’s financial technology sector more attractive to investors.
The importance of the National Payment Switch is even more evident in delivering digital government services. It enables ministries and government agencies to collect taxes, customs duties, zakat, service fees, and other government charges through a single national payment gateway, eliminating the need to establish direct connections with every individual bank or payment provider. This approach reduces costs, simplifies system integration, standardises cybersecurity requirements, strengthens financial oversight, and improves the efficiency of government revenue collection.
The National Payment Switch also supports the growth of e-commerce by enabling merchants to accept digital payments with ease and by connecting point-of-sale terminals, online stores, and financial applications to a unified payment infrastructure. This helps expand the formal economy while reducing reliance on the informal cash-based sector.
During the reconstruction phase, the National Payment Switch represents one of the state’s most important strategic assets because it provides the essential infrastructure upon which the entire digital economy depends. It underpins everything from government payments and digital banking services to electronic wallets, e-commerce platforms, and innovative financial services.
For this reason, ensuring its successful and efficient operation is about far more than restoring a banking service. It is a strategic investment in building a more resilient digital economy—one that is better able to attract investment and more capable of delivering sustainable long-term growth.

Shortlink: https://sudanhorizon.com/?p=16749