Sudanese opposition calls for demonstrations over anticipated hikes in utility prices
July 30, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Congress Party (SCoP) and the National Unified Unionist Party (NUUP) urged Sudanese to protest the expected increases in water and electricity tariffs.
The country has witnessed violent protests in September 2013 which claimed the lives of hundreds after the government lifted fuel subsidies.
“The regime readies itself these days to place greater economic burdens on citizens by increasing electricity and water prices after it had already increased prices of all goods and services, both directly and indirectly, such that a decent life in this country has become more difficult day after day” SCoP said in a statement.
The party warned that the increase in the electricity tariff will raise prices all over including basic goods and services, noting that power companies spend billions of pounds every month just on personnel expenses.
SCoP said that government spending on security and military should have been diverted to improve electricity, water, education and medical treatment.
In the same context, the NUUP head Jala’a al-Azhari categorically rejected the utilities increases and called on Sudanese to use all means of peaceful protest.
She said that “those increases would add to the suffering of the masses”.
The government shocked its citizens this month by announcing its intention to increase the electricity and water consumption tariffs by 100% in order to ensure stability of electricity and water supplies services, after major outages that caused a wave of protests in Khartoum neighborhoods over the past two months.
(ST)