World Bank gives Sudan $5m to stamp out corruption

The World Bank has given Sudan $5 million in an attempt to boost the country’s financial anti-corruption policies, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported.

The grant, which was formally signed on Tuesday by the Minister of Finance, Retired Lieutenant General Mohamed Othman Rukabi, aims to achieve greater transparency and to reduce corruption in five of the Sudan’s 18 states.

The project is expected to make a significant improvement to Sudan’s economy by closing down loopholes and minimising the chances of embezzlement, fraud and corruption.

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Project Coordinator, Mekki Mirghani, told news outlets that the task would increase spending on poverty-related programmes by 60-70 per cent but would also reduce the dependency on grants and financial assistance by 25 per cent.

“The programme will cover the training of around 4,200 workers and employees from selected states and revenue collecting agencies, planning, project management, auditing and risk based departments,” he explained.

The three year programme will also include the management and monitoring of public funds by state parliaments especially the methods used in revenue assessment and analysis and fund-raising programmes.

The World Bank has financed projects in Sudan to the value of over $140 million mostly on education, capacity building, budget management and protection of the environment and natural resources.