UNIDO invests $US 11 million to promote industry in Sudan

UNIDO invests $US 11 million to promote industry in Sudan

PRESS RELEASE

Khartoum, 30 October 2013 -- The United Nations Industrial Development Organization in Sudan presented today the country’s Industrial Modernization Programme (IMPS) for the period 2012 to 2016. With a total of $US 11 million to be invested in activities with both private and public sectors, the country programme has been signed in June 2013 with the Federal Ministry of Industry.

The four-year programme represents an overarching umbrella for productive activities by public and private sectors, industrial policies, capacity building and industrial support services aimed at increasing the competitiveness of Sudan industrial enterprises.

The programme covers six sectors: Leather and leather good manufactories; Fisheries; Agriculture fertilizers; Animal feed; Food processing sector; Fresh fruit and vegetables; Groundnut and edible oil products; and Cotton lint and spinning/textile. All projects will have a strong emphasis on sustainable, green industrial development, with a special focus on environmental protection and energy efficiency.

The Chairman of the Chambers of Industries Association Mr. Nouraddin Al-Saeed stated that “the IMP represents one of the most important prorgrammes on our agenda at this stage. It is, in fact, of a high importance as far as encouraging productive activities, strengthening the industrial policies and building institutional capacity in the industrial sector.”

Addressing the participants, the Acting Minister of Industry Dr Abdelwahid Yousif stated that the Industrial Modernization Programme goes in line with the Tripartite Programme (2012-2014) designed and adopted to face the negative repercussions of the loss of oil revenues and to reinstate internal and external balance of the economy and hence to re-establish the sustainable development.”

The UNIDO Representative for Sudan Mr. Khaled El Mekwad said that “in addition to individual interventions, UNIDO as part of the United Nations Country Team, contributed in several collective activities such as the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) where UNIDO is co-leading with FAO the pillar dealing with “Poverty Reduction, Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Livelihoods”, in addition to the Darfur Joint Assessment Mission (DJAM) where UNIDO is co-leading with the World Bank the “Private Sector Development in Darfur” where two concept notes on livelihood recovery and vocational training were developed,”.

Mr. El Mekwad revealed that “the bilateral cooperation with Sudan goes beyond traditional Technical Cooperation Delivery, as the Ministry of Industry entrusted UNIDO to co-organize with the Government of Sudan an industrial investment forum to be held next year.”

The workshop was attended by representatives of the government, diplomatic missions and donors, private sector and ######### of UN agencies and Chambers of Industries Association.