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Sudan is gateway to Africa: Envoy
The Sudanese ambassador to Indonesia has declared Sudan âthe gateway to Africaâ and encouraged Indonesia to intensify cooperation including foreign investment, citing the countryâs natural resources and new policies as attractive factors
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he Sudanese ambassador to Indonesia has declared Sudan 'the gateway to Africa' and encouraged Indonesia to intensify cooperation including foreign investment, citing the country's natural resources and new policies as attractive factors.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, which marked the 59th anniversary of Sudan's independence, Abd Al Rahim Al Siddig Mohamed declared Sudan open for business.
'We have enormous reserves of mineral resources like gold, copper, iron ['¦] and oil,' Mohamed said. 'All these resources are waiting to be explored.'
To make it easier for foreign companies to invest in the country, Mohamed said Sudan was offering 'attractive incentives for investors' and had 'adopted new policies aimed at encouraging direct foreign investment' through the implementation of a 'new investment code that regulates different investment activities'.
Mohamed cited increasing opportunities for joint business ventures as a priority for Sudan-Indonesia relations, particularly in the areas of agriculture, mining, oil extraction and tourism.
While Asian giant China is Sudan's largest trading partner, Mohamed said Sudan was focused on prioritizing Indonesian relations. 'We have a very ambitious plan that in the near future we want our relations with Indonesia to be the top among all Asian countries,' he said.
If Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, was to expand trade into the African market, it should start in Sudan, Mohamed said. 'Sudan is the gateway to Africa, surrounded by eight African countries with 600 million [people],' Mohamed said.
While the ambassador talked up Sudan's desire for foreign investment, the World Bank's 'Doing Business' report, which ranks economies based on their ease of doing business, places Sudan a lowly 160 out of 189 countries.
Question marks also remain over Sudan's ability to counter endemic corruption within the country. Global anti-corruption organization Transparency International last year ranked Sudan 172nd out of 175 countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index. Indonesia was ranked joint 107th on the index.
Another major issue facing Sudan is its appalling human rights record.
In response to this, the United Nations established the Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) in 2007.
