Sudan Will Not Lift Wheat, Furnace Oil, Cooking Gas Subsidies this Year

Motorists queue up at a petrol station in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on January 21, 2014. (AFP)
Motorists queue up at a petrol station in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on January 21, 2014. (AFP)
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Sudan Will Not Lift Wheat, Furnace Oil, Cooking Gas Subsidies this Year

Motorists queue up at a petrol station in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on January 21, 2014. (AFP)
Motorists queue up at a petrol station in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on January 21, 2014. (AFP)

Sudan will not lift subsidies this year on wheat, cooking gas or furnace oil, which is used to produce electricity, finance minister Jibril Ibrahim said on Wednesday, a day after subsidies on gasoline and diesel were fully lifted.

Ibrahim said the government is committed to removing the so-called customs exchange rate, used to determine import duties on a range of goods, but is studying tariff levels to ensure that consumer prices are not affected.

Sudan is implementing a raft of IMF-monitored reforms, including a currency devaluation, in hopes of alleviating a protracted economic crisis and attracting foreign financing.

Ibrahim also said he was studying wide-ranging reforms for the banking system.

Sudan produced 400,000 tons of wheat in the past season which was disappointing, Jibril said. This accounted for a quarter of the country's needs of 1.6 million tons.



Honda and Nissan Reportedly Consider Mutual Production of Vehicles

FILE PHOTO: A Honda logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, US, April 5, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Honda logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, US, April 5, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo/File Photo
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Honda and Nissan Reportedly Consider Mutual Production of Vehicles

FILE PHOTO: A Honda logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, US, April 5, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Honda logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, US, April 5, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo/File Photo

Honda and Nissan are considering producing vehicles in one another's factories as part of their plan to deepen ties and potentially merge, Japan's Kyodo news agency said on Saturday.
Honda will consider supplying hybrid vehicles to Nissan as part of the plan, the report said, without citing the source of the information.
A merger of Honda, Japan's second-largest car company, and Nissan, its third-largest, would create the world's third-largest auto group by vehicle sales, behind Toyota and Volkswagen, making 7.4 million vehicles a year, Reuters said.
The two automakers forged a strategic partnership in March to cooperate in electric vehicle development, but Nissan has faced financial and strategic troubles in recent months.
As announced, Honda, "Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors are in the process of bringing together our strengths and exploring potential forms of cooperation, but nothing has been decided yet,” a Honda spokesperson said, when asked about the report.
Nissan declined to comment, saying the details of the report were not based on a company announcement. Nissan is the top shareholder in Mitsubishi Motors.
Kyodo said Honda could use Nissan's car factory in Britain, as it now only has factories for engines and motorcycles in Europe.
The move comes amid concerns over how president-elect Donald Trump's policies may shake up manufacturing with his promises of protectionist trade policies, the report said.