Sudan produces 36.5 tons of gold in first quarter 2018

April 22, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s gold production has reached 36.5 tons during the first quarter of this year, said a report released Sunday by the Sudanese Minerals Resources Company (SMRC), the monitoring arm of the Sudan Minerals Ministry.

The SMRC performance report revealed that the “production of gold for the first quarter reached (36.5) tons with a performance rate of (162%) while the revenues during the first quarter reached 778.548 million Sudanese pounds ($43 million) with a performance rate of 104%,” said a statement released by the minerals ministry.

During a meeting chaired by the Minister of Minerals Hashem Ali Salem, SMRC Director General, Mujahid Bilal, said that the production of traditional mining represents 88% of production during the first quarter of 2018.

Gold production is now Sudan’s main source of hard currency after the secession of South Sudan where are the two third of its oil reserves before 2011.

However, restrictions on the hard currency by the Central represents a big challenge impeding the development of the mining industry but also encourage traditional minors to smuggle their production to neighbouring countries.

Sudanese officials said they hope to increase gold production to more than 140 tons during this year and make Sudan the first gold producer in Africa by 2018.

(ST)