April 23, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - In a meeting held on Wednesday, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok was briefed about the progress made in reviewing the status of industrial and commercial companies of the Sudanese army.

The meeting further agreed on the need to expedite its transfer to commercial companies under the civil and commercial laws.

According to the official news agency SUNA, besides Hamdok, the meeting included Mohamed Hamdan Daglo ’’Hemetti", and Lt Gen Ibrahim Jaber a member of the Sovereign Council and Lt Gen Mirghani Idris the Director-General of Sudan’s Military Industry Corporation (MIC).

The meeting reviewed the work model of the defence industries system, as well as the mechanisms of joint governance between the Corporation and the government.

Sudan Tribune learned that the meeting also discussed what has been done to convert the army’s companies operating in non-military fields into public joint-stock companies under the Civil Code and observing the rules of transparency and oversight.

A source close to the meeting said that these companies will continue to belong to the army and that there was no talk about transferring their ownership to the Ministry of Finance.

He pointed out that the meeting stressed the continuation of the institutions affiliated to the MIC and take advantage of its technical and professional capabilities to solving the economic crisis the country is experiencing.

On April 5, the government’s spokesperson, Faisal Mohamed Saleh, said that the cabinet had heard a report from the joint committee between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the MIC on the military companies and proposals to transfer some companies to the Ministry of Finance and converts others to public joint-stock companies.

Saleh added that the Council of Ministers called for a time limit for the work of the joint committee.

Besides ammunition and weapons firms, the army owns many commercial and industrial companies that invest in various areas, including meat and bread flour, and electrical and electronic devices.

After the removal of the al-Bashir regime, it was agreed to open the MIC to democratic oversight by the parliament and civilian organizations.

The Corporation expanded its activities during the year of the oil boom between 2000 and 2011.

Committee to review MIC companies

On Thursday, the head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fatah al-Burhan ordered to form a committee to review and reform the status of MIC companies.

The decision was announced by the head of the Empowerment Removal Committee, Lt Gen Yasir Atta during a weekly press conference about the dismantling of the former regime held on Thursday.

Atta further said the army decided to donate to the finance ministry the Friendship Palace Hotel in Hilla Hamad area in Khartoum North.

(ST)