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External Relations Administration
The Ministry of
Industry pays greatest attention to
external/international relations and its role in
attracting foreign investment (private and joint),
transfer and adaptation of new technologies, providing
foreign financial assistance to the national industry as
well as supporting technical capabilities in the fields
of quality management, attracting technical assistance
and human resources development.
To achieve all
these targets the Ministry of Industry established the
General Administration for External Relations to work in
three main areas as follows:-
-
Relations with
international and regional organizations.
-
Financing and
development of industrial exports.
-
Bilateral
relations.
Relations with
Regional and International Organizations
This
unit deals with building and strengthening relations
with regional and international organizations working in
the field of industrial development. It aims at
attracting technical assistance, technology transfer and
human resources development. The activities of the
department include the following:
-
Completion of the
implementation of the refocused integrated programme
with UNIDO in addition to other cooperation programmes
with UNIDO such as the joint UNIDO/FAO project for the
promotion of community-based agro-processing
activities.
-
Follow-up on the
implementation of the cooperation agreement
(2004-2005) with the Arab Organization for Industrial
Development and Mining (AIDMO).
-
Initiating and
activating cooperation with other regional and
international organizations e.g. ILO, WIPO, WTO, ITC,
ISO, COMESA, ACP, ETC.
Cooperation with
UNIDO
Sudan enjoys strong
relations with the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO). This relation is shaped by the
formulation of the "Integrated Programme for Industrial
Development and Capacity
Building" focusing in agro-based small and medium industries. The programme
has been set into six principal areas industrial
policies formulation and implementation; development of
small scale industries; comprehensive industrial survey
and information networking; environment and industrial
waste treatment; investment and technology promotion;
and promotion of agro- industries and related technical
skills. The implementation of some of these projects was
started.
In the year 2002, it
has been agreed between the Ministry of Industry and
UNIDO to reformulate the programme focusing on
agro-based industries and small and medium-scale
industries with special emphasis on poverty alleviation
especially in war-affected areas. The refocused
programme was formulated by UNIDO experts in close
cooperation with the Ministry of Industry. The estimated
cost for implementing the programme is about $ 8.1
million, 20% would from the government of
Sudan contribution and 10
% from UNIDO and the rest will be provided by donors.
Currently, the program e is being promoted by the
Ministry of Industry in cooperation with UNIDO for
financing. The programme is entitled “An Industrial
agenda for poverty relief and transition to sustainable
development” and is composed of four main components:
-
Social
stabilization in war-affected areas.
-
Sustainable
Agro-business focusing on textile, leather and edible
oil.
-
Environment and
Rural Energy.
-
Industrial
Governance
Cooperation with
AIDMO
Sudan has very strong
relations with the Arab Organization for Industrial
Development and Mining (AIDMO) in the field of
manufacturing industries. Currently the organization is
carrying out the following:
§
Study for
the establishment of incubators for small-scale
industries in different states of
Sudan. A study was
prepared for establishing incubators for small-scale
industries in Nyala- Southern Darfur State.
§
Study for
the existing industrial areas and for establishing 3
large industrial areas in the states (Al-Jaily, Rabak
and Sinnar).
§
A study for
the
development of the diary and diary products extracts
processing.
§
In the
field of human resources development, the organization
provided many short training courses for the staff of
the Ministry of Industry in the fields of industrial
statistics, traditional industries, export development,
information in addition to a workshop on investment.
The above studies
were prepared by AIDMO experts in cooperation with
Sudanese national experts. Currently, follow-up action
is being taken to finalize those studies in order to
promote them among donors to finance their
implementation.
Within the framework
of the joint cooperation with the organization, the
Ministry is coordinating
Sudan’s participation in
the Mining Committee and in the Standards Committee.
Relations with COMESA
Cooperating with the
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA),
the External Relation Administration is participating in
the activities of the COMESA Secretariat at the Ministry
of Foreign Trade, the focal point for the COMESA in
Sudan that follow-up the joint cooperation in different
economic fields.
The department is
coordinating with the concerned authorities for the
preparations for the Meeting of the COMESA Ministers of
Industry that will be held on Khartoum in 2004.
The department
participated with the steering committee for the
preparations of the COMESA Summit that was held in
Khartoum last March 2003 and also participated in
technical meetings that were held and is taking
follow-up action on the recommendations of the summit
concerning the industrial sector.
Relations with WTO
The External
Relations Administration participated in all meetings
and activities organized by the national committee
acceding to the World Trade Organization in the context
of Sudan’s aspiration for
full membership in the WTO.
The Administration
participated in the preparations in the meetings held
with the delegation of the Economic Commission for
Africa that visited Sudan last
February 2003, in the context of supporting Sudan’s
efforts to join WTO.
Industrial Finance
and Export Development
The industrial
financing and exports development unit is mandated to
linking the local industry with regional and
international markets for the promotion of exports for
Sudanese industrial products and introducing potential
opportunities for financing in addition to attracting
financial assistance for national industry from
financing institutions that could contribute to availing
funds for rehabilitation, renovation, operation and
capacity upgrading. The industrial financing and exports
development unit has been established recently to cater
for the accelerating growth and expansion of the
industrial base in the country during last years which
was able to satisfy local demand for many industrial
products and achieve surplus for export which requires a
comprehensive strategy for the promotion and marketing
of industrial goods.
Also the issue of
financing the industrial sector is considered as a main
reason of establishing this Unit.
The activities of the
unit can be summarized as follows:
§
Attracting
industrial finance for establishing export processing
zone
§
Utilizing
bilateral relations for finance, loans and partnership
for establishing industrial areas and for rehabilitation
of existing industries
§
Initiating
cooperation with donors and regional and financial
institutions such as Islamic Development Bank, African
Development Bank, OPEC Fund, etc.
§
Initiating
contacts and cooperation with international
organizations and institutions working in the field of
export promotion e.g. Common Fund for Commodities (CFC).
§
Organizing
and conducting workshops and seminars in the fields of
industrial finance and export promotion in collaboration
with relevant national authorities e.g. Export
Development Council, Sudanese Chambers of Industries
Association, Sudanese Businessmen and Employers
Federation in cooperation with regional and
international organizations and financing institutions
§
Organizing
joint working meetings between Sudanese businessmen and
businessmen from other countries to be acquainted with
the potentialities and export needs in each country
§
Participating in exhibitions abroad for the promotion of
the Sudanese industrial products
§
Contributing to the establishment of economic and trade
units abroad
§
Organizing
donor meetings
In cooperation with
the Industrial Export Development Committee:-
§
A proposed
Seminar for briefing large Sudanese exporters about the
Sudan Trade Point.
§
A study was
prepared on experience of other countries in promoting
industrial exports
§
In addition
to a report on bilateral agreements and its role in
promoting industrial exports.
§
A proposal
for conducting a training programme for relevant staff
working in the export sector.
The representation in
international exhibitions is decided by the Exhibitions
Committee at the Ministry of Foreign Trade which is
chaired by the State Minister of Industry.
Currently, manual and
brochures for the promotion of industrial exports are
being prepared in collaboration with Industrial
Production Administration at the Ministry of Industry.
The finance for
industrial sector witnessed improvement with the
establishment of the Industrial Development Fund in
cooperation with the Financial Investment Bank.
Informal
consultations were held with the OPEC Fund Headquarters
which indicated its initial agreements to finance small
and medium projects (through agents) up to $3 million
and contributing to large projects up to $ 10 million.
All related documents were transferred to the Financial
Investment Bank as the focal point assigned by the
Ministry of Finance for follow-up on the matter.
A study was prepared
for the identification of foreign financial needs of the
Sudanese industries by the Committee established for
preparing suggestions and recommendations on industrial
finance”. This Committee adopted a report by the Africa
Development Bank decided the requirements of financing
the industrial sector prepared in 1983, with an
increasing margin with a ratio of 20-30%.
Bilateral Relations
This unit is aimed at
building and strengthening relations with foreign
countries by form of agreements and protocols of
industrial cooperation to encourage and promote (private
and joint) investment and to develop human resources and
exchange of experience and visits to develop industrial
exports.
The activities
associated with bilateral relations are:
§
Activating
the existing agreements with countries by preparing
implementation programmes for completion and follow up
the implementation of signed agreements.
§
Initiating
new cooperation with Arab and foreign countries and
effecting new agreements
§
Activating
and revitalizing bilateral relations, in cooperation
with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
§
Organizing
visits to selected countries
§
Preparing
work plans for visits by Arab and foreign missions for
activating joint cooperation and introducing the local
industries.
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