Sudan says cooperating with IMF, ties improving
KHARTOUM, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Leaders of Sudan's Islamist government held talks with visiting International Monetary Fund officials to try to end 15 years of tension, a state-owned newspaper reported on Sunday.
The daily al-Anbaa said an IMF team, led by Paul Chabrier, the head of the fund's Middle East desk, held talks on Saturday with President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Parliament Speaker Hassan al-Turabi and Finance Minister Abdel-Wahhab Osman.
It quoted Bashir as telling the delegation that Sudan would stick to its economic programme and reported that the government had asked the fund to lift the penalties imposed on it.
Official media quoted Chabrier as praising Sudan's economic performance in fighting inflation, promoting growth and starting oil exports. IMF officials could not be reached for comment.
In 1984 the IMF declared its standby credit facilities for Sudan inoperative due to its failure to repay IMF loans and inability to implement economic reform.
In 1992, Sudan reoriented its economic policies, removing subsidies and currency controls, and liberalising the economy.
The IMF recently declared Sudan cooperative after it started paying the fund $3.3 million a month in an attempt to settle its $1.5-1.7 billion arrears. The country's total foreign debts are reported to stand at $16-20 billion.
_______________________________________________
``There was a time -- it is hard to believe now -- when Sudan was regarded as economically very promising, and there was talk about it becoming the bread basket of something, the world, Africa, the Middle East,' IMF First Deputy Managing Director Stanley Fischer told a news conference.
Quote Reuters, September 12 |
