In Sudan, the Finance Minister, Badreldien Mahmoud (photo), has announced that the state subsidies on fuel oil, jet fuel and gas has been lifted.

 According to him, the change puts an end to all the administrative limitations and fees as well as taxes and opens the field for private sector companies to use all payment methods.

“The government's withdrawal of subsidies came at an appropriate time when global prices have fallen in an unprecedented way”, Mahmoud said.

The minister, when announcing the budget this year, had declared that he would not lift subsidies on products in 2016.

According to Reuters, the lifting of the liquefied petroleum gas subsidy resulted in a 200 % rise in the price of the commodity, thereby making 1 kilogram of liquefied petroleum gas, cost 6 Sudanese pounds, from the previous 2 pounds.

Anita Fatunji