Sudan Bids to Import Flour, Wheat

Supporters gather outside the National Prison during the release of politicians and journalists, after demonstrations in Khartoum, Sudan February 18, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
Supporters gather outside the National Prison during the release of politicians and journalists, after demonstrations in Khartoum, Sudan February 18, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
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Sudan Bids to Import Flour, Wheat

Supporters gather outside the National Prison during the release of politicians and journalists, after demonstrations in Khartoum, Sudan February 18, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
Supporters gather outside the National Prison during the release of politicians and journalists, after demonstrations in Khartoum, Sudan February 18, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning launched Sunday an open tender on the supply of 500,000 tons of wheat and flour, in response to a wave of protests Sudan witnessed in the past days.

Days earlier, Sudan's Prime Minister Moataz Moussa announced budget 2019 that encapsulates subsidies allocations of SDG66 billion (USD1.4 billion) and SDG53 billion out of them are for bread and fuel.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the wheat and flour bid is meant to calm protesters and easing living conditions that are affected by bread prices and scarcity of wheat.

Economist Prof. Mohamed Jack Ahmad told Asharq Al-Awsat that the success of the public budget is hinged to negative economic indicators including the inflation rate, foreign currencies exchange, the rise of services and commodities prices, and the recession in Sudanese markets.

Director-General of the Agricultural Bank of Sudan Salah al-Din Hassan said that the amount of the tender is to be determined later after the closing date of submission, pointing out that the last tender for the supply of wheat issued by the Ministry of Finance was about two years ago.

Former deputy minister of foreign trade and former official of the wheat file Al-Kindi Yusuf pointed out that the scarcity of strategic commodities, including wheat and bread flour, has become a phenomenon associated with the economies of developing countries, which is always paid to plan for self-sufficiency.

Yusuf pointed out that the tender for wheat and bread flour at this particular time means that the government has renewed the support that stopped the commodity to absorb the political turmoil caused by citizens in protest against the high prices of bread.



US Economy Shrinks 0.3% in 1st Quarter as Trump Says 'Be Patient'

President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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US Economy Shrinks 0.3% in 1st Quarter as Trump Says 'Be Patient'

President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Americans should be patient in the face of a first quarter economic contraction, arguing that his tariffs would eventually lead to a boom in the US economy.

The economy shrank 0.3% from January through March, first drop in three years. It was slowed by a surge in imports as companies in the United States tried to bring in foreign goods before Trump imposed massive tariffs.
The January-March expansion was the slowest in almost three years and was down from 2.4% in the last three months of 2024. Imports shaved 5 percentage points off first-quarter growth. Consumer spending also slowed sharply.
Trump inherited a solid economy that had grown steadily despite high interest rates imposed by the Federal Reserve to fight inflation. His trade policies — including 145% tariffs on China — have paralyzed businesses and threatened to raise prices and hurt consumers.

Republican Trump blamed his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, for the poor showing.

"This is Biden’s Stock Market, not Trump’s," he said. "Our Country will boom, but we have to get rid of the Biden 'Overhang.'

Trump added: "This will take a while, has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS, only that he left us with bad numbers, but when the boom begins, it will be like no other. BE PATIENT!!!"