Sudan Involves Foreign Investors in Budget Implementation

Sudan Involves Foreign Investors in Budget Implementation
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Sudan Involves Foreign Investors in Budget Implementation

Sudan Involves Foreign Investors in Budget Implementation

The Sudanese government has been negotiating with foreign investors to carry out investments with Sudanese private sector to implement the country's economic goals, which were approved by the parliament in the 2018 budget.

The Sudanese National Assembly, parliament, approved Sunday the 2018 budget bill, which included targets for economic growth of four percent, compared with 4.6 percent last year.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expected growth for 2017 to come in at 3.25 percent.

Sudan seeks to increase its exports in 2018 from $3.9 billion to $6.1 billion, as reflected in the quantitative targets of the draft budget.

The country is looking to increase production of essential agricultural products, livestock products, gold and oil.

During his meeting in Khartoum on Thursday with newspaper editors in chief, Sudanese Minister of Investment Mubarak Fadel al-Mahdi talked about the involvement of foreign investors in the country's budget.

Mahdi did not give further details on how foreign investors would participate in implementing the budget targets, but he said they would enter into partnerships and alliances with the Sudanese private sector, which would implement the $6 billion plan and about 80 percent of the state's projects in the new year.

The government has agreed with Turkish investors, during their recent visit to Sudan within the 200-member business delegation, to participate in the contractual agriculture article with farmers, which tops the agricultural economic program in the budget, Mahdi explained.

He announced that the government has a joint vision with the private sector to increase production that will be implemented this year.

It is targeting the amounting of agricultural and livestock exports to 10 billion dollars at the end of the planned three years, Mahdi pointed out.

The Sudanese private sector is partnering with the government to implement a three-year development plan covering various economic sectors.

Chairman of the Federation of Employers Saud al-Barir said the cost of private sector business in the state investment plan was about $450 million.

The private sector will provide external financing and guarantees in case of receiving foreign payments, and it will take care of the costs of the studies.

He expected that Sudan will witness economic stability after the implementation of the plan, which will contribute to reducing the deficit in the trade balance.



Gold Heads for Weekly Fall as Fewer Fed Rate Cut Prospects Weigh

Jewelry is displayed at the Gold Souk market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo
Jewelry is displayed at the Gold Souk market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo
TT
20

Gold Heads for Weekly Fall as Fewer Fed Rate Cut Prospects Weigh

Jewelry is displayed at the Gold Souk market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo
Jewelry is displayed at the Gold Souk market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo

Gold prices fell on Friday and were on track for a weekly decline, as an overall stronger dollar and the prospect of fewer US interest rate cuts offset support from rising geopolitical risks in the Middle East.

Spot gold slipped 0.8% to $3,333.99 an ounce, as of 0604 GMT, and was down 2.5% for the week so far.

US gold futures shed 1.4% to $3,361.80.

Describing the situation in the Middle East as "fluid", Kelvin Wong, senior market analyst, Asia Pacific, at OANDA, said it is causing traders to avoid taking aggressive positions both on the long and the short side of the trade spectrum, reported Reuters.

US President Donald Trump will decide in the next two weeks whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran air war, the White House said on Thursday, raising pressure on Tehran to come to the negotiating table.

Meanwhile, Trump reiterated his calls for the US Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, saying it should be 2.5 percentage points lower.

The Fed held rates steady on Wednesday, and policymakers retained projections for two quarter-point rate cuts this year.

"Macroeconomic developments, particularly steady yields and renewed USD strength, have not supported the (gold) price," analysts at ANZ said in a note.

"Rising inflation expectations and the Fed's cautious stance have weighed on market expectations around the number of rate cuts this year."

The dollar was set to log its biggest weekly rise in over a month on Friday. A stronger greenback makes gold more expensive for other currency holders.

Elsewhere, spot silver slipped 2.1% to $35.61 per ounce, while palladium fell 0.8% to $1,042.04. Platinum fell 1.9% to $1,282.72, but was heading for its third straight weekly rise.