Economic situation close to collapse

The former Minister of State, Abda al-Mahdi Khartoum - Abed Algayom Ashmeag The former Minister of State in the Sudanese Finance Ministry, Abda al-Mahdi, has said the country's economy is close to collapse. Al-Mahdi, who was a state minister from 2002 to 2004, said in an interview with Arabstoday on Thursday, that mismanagement, corruption, and incorrect economic policies were behind the country's financial difficulties. "The government neglected productive sectors like agriculture, industry and transportation, which achieved high economic revenues,: she said. She added that the government ignored these sectors and relied on petroleum, which soon got depleted. The former minister pointed out that proceedings the government intends to adopt to exit the economic crisis were not enough, as they should firstly be solved through political reform, enhancing relations with western states, and financial institutions that could give loans. She also demanded the government build healthy relationships with international institutions and saying talk dismissing international monetary organisations were harmful and illogical. "We cannot live in isolated islands away from others for Sudan is part of the international system and should establish good relationships that are open to the world, based on common interests and benefits," she said.  Al-Mahdi said that when she was in power, she called for the finance minsitry to have full control on public funds. She hinted that influential ministers did not implement decisions aimed at reform, revealing that they kept huge financial revenues away from the finance ministry to build facilities that the country did not need. She stressed the necessity of returning to agricultural and industrial sectors. "The conflicts in South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur have complicated the economic situation of Sudan...the suffering of the Sudanese citizen has become unbearable," Al-Mahdi finished.