Minister; Sudan to cut fuel subsidies in March

Sudan hopes to cut fuel subsidies over course of 18 months, starting as early as March, and replace m with direct cash payments to poor, country's finance minister said in an interview.

comments by Ibrahim Elbawi came after his government stepped back from discussing subsidies late last year and dropped proposals related to subsidy removal in 2020 budget.

Elbawi told Associated Press that plan is to grually lift fuel subsidies, which take up 36% of nation's budget, as early as March, after an ecomic conference with civil society groups, and continue into next year.

former World Bank ecomist said gasoline subsidies would be removed first, before tackling diesel mid-year.

A decision on subsidies will be most fateful to be taken by country's new leership as it navigates a treacherous transition to civilian rule.

Two-thirds of Sudan's more than 40 million people live in poverty, and slashing fuel subsidies could le to de-stabilizing protests reminiscent of large-scale demonstrations that ended 30-year-rule of strongman Omar al-Bashir in April.

At same time, sweeping ecomic reforms are required to re-integrate Sudan into international ecomy and win support from international lenders.

For deces, country has been an international pariah, after it was placed on United State's list of states which sponsor terror more than two deces ago.

This largely excluded it from global ecomy and prevented it from receiving loans from international institutions like International Monetary Fund.