By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Sudan Minister of Finance Ibrahim Elbadawi announced Friday that the Cabinet decided to lift subsidies on fuel products gradually.

Addressing a news conference after the Cabinet meeting Friday, Elbadawi said the full lifting of the subsidies would be scheduled by a ministerial committee but subsidies on bread and medicine would remain.

“After long discussions, the Council of Ministers has decided to adopt the gradual lifting of the subsidies of the fuel products in order to allocate more revenues for the increase of production and productivity” he said.

He added that the government would increase salaries by 100%. “This budget is for combating poverty and we announced here that we will double the subsidies of the health and education, also we will support 900,000 families with 1,500 pound,” or $20.

The minister added that the budget has not yet been approved and wide communal discussions would open between the government and the people to grant satisfaction of residents.

The decision to lift subsidies was delayed twice in the past few days.

Nationwide protests that ousted long time leader President Omer Al-Bashir in April begun in December 2018 because of economic hardships and soaring prices.