Sudan says to finance new currency printing from joint account

May 31, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, has announced that the government will fund the printing of the new currency from the joint account between federal and Southern Sudan government and not wait for the donors.

Initially it was planed to introduce the new currency during the first half of 2006, donors pledged to fund the $100 million cost of implementation.

He expressed his regret that the donors did not commit to the pledges they made towards the Compressive Peace Agreement.

In a press conference at the ending of the joint meeting between the leadership bureau of the National Congress and the political bureau of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, Al-Bashir criticised the donors for not honouring their pledges.

He also said that United States had promised to end economic sanctions to help the peace implementation; but they didn’t “and now they use Darfur as pretext to maintain the sanctions. Now after the signing of the peace deal they will look for another reason to keep sanctions, he added.

Currently, transactions in the southern part of the country are conducted in Kenyan and Ugandan shillings and American dollars, but rarely in the Sudan dinar, the legal tender of the northern part of the country.

Actually according to the Wealth sharing agreement, the circulating currencies in Southern Sudan are recognised by the Central Bank till the printing of the new currency

(ST)