Sudanese cabinet review Budget performance

June 4, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The Council of Ministers, chaired by the President Omer al-Bashir, Sunday held a regular meeting and reviewed a report on the performance of the general Budget in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2006.

The Suanese cabinet decided exemption of gasoline from customs and additional fees.

The report was presented by the federal Minister of Finance, Al-Zubair Ahmed Al-Hassan.

The report stated that the inflation rate in the past months has dropped to 5%, compared to 6.9 in the same period last year.

The minister referred to the increase in the rate of the Sudanese Sudanese dinar against the US dollar, explaining that the rate of the dollar dropped now to 228.5 dinars, compared to 250.2 dinars in the past year.

The minister also pointed to the enhancement in Sudan relations with the international and regional financial institutions as well as the signing of a number of agreements with these institutions.

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Council of Ministers said in a press statement after the Cabinet’s meeting that the arrangements were completed for enhancement of the employees’ salaries and pensions.

He said that measures were also completed to recruit 7,000 university graduates in the civil service.