Khartoum: The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Abdullah Ibrahim, has disclosed the principal features, guidelines, and objectives of the state’s emergency budget for the fiscal year 2025, which will focus on mobilizing self-resources to prioritize spending.

According to Sudan News Agency, Ibrahim detailed the budget’s objectives, which include increasing public revenues by enhancing collection efforts, tackling tax evasion, and improving collection efficiency through technical systems. The budget also aims to review trade exchange policies at border crossings, facilitate foreign trade procedures, particularly export operations, and implement deterrent laws with strict controls to prevent strategic goods smuggling. Additionally, the budget seeks to empower authorities to enhance security measures and combat smuggling while revisiting customs exemptions to limit them to those included in binding laws only.

The Undersecretary emphasized the budget’s foundational principles, such
as preserving Sudan’s sovereignty and security, strengthening the social and cultural fabric, and promoting self-reliance. The ministry is committed to stabilizing the exchange rate, reducing inflation, and reinforcing financial oversight bodies. It also aims to ensure the Ministry of Finance’s authority over public funds, focusing on providing citizens with a decent standard of living and enhancing foreign relations development.

Ibrahim highlighted the budget’s intention to prioritize and control government spending while minimizing borrowing from the banking system according to necessary priorities. He affirmed the commitment to paying salaries of federal government employees, prioritizing pensioners’ dues, strengthening social protection networks and programs, and upholding National Health Insurance Fund services. The budget also commits to state transfers in line with the law on resource division from actually collected revenues.

The budget reflects the state’s concern for the conditions of displaced pe
rsons and refugees, educational reform, and prioritizing health sector obligations. It aims to boost the operational efficiency of the transportation sector, prepare media environments to foster social peace, and develop technical production infrastructure. Furthermore, it seeks to consolidate the youth’s role in supporting the national vision.

Ibrahim underscored the budget’s commitment to transparency, accountability, institutionalism, and the rule of law. It also focuses on strengthening the private sector’s role in leading economic activity and fostering public-private partnerships to bolster the national economy’s capabilities.