Government sets up fund for northern Sudan development

Dec 2, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The Federal Minister of Finance, Al-Zubair Ahmed Al-Hassan, has issued a ministerial decree on establishment of the National Fund for Reconstruction and Development (NFRD), the state-run SUNA reported.

The fund to be headed by the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Federal Government as the alternate Chairman, and to include as members the Secretary General of the fund, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministers of Finance in the war-affected states and the less-developed areas, representative of South Sudan Government and three personalities to be appointed by the Minister of Finance.

The tasks amd jurisdiction of NFRD include the development of the war-affected and the less developed areas in north Sudan, determining the bases and criteria for development of the war-affected and the less developed areas.

The fund will work out and implementation of plans and programmes, attraction of external and local support as well as coordination with the funds for development in Darfur and east Sudan states and other bodies which are operating in the development and rehabilitation fields

(ST)