Roundup: Exhibition "Made in Sudan" seeks to promote national industry

Sudanese industries are trying to overcome barriers and challenges and make their products more competitive in local markets and against imported commodities.

The Sudanese industries exhibition "Made in Sudan," which is now underway in Khartoum, is a chance for that end.

Around 450 different Sudanese factories and industrial companies are taking part in the exhibition, which is convened at Burri Exhibition Ground in Khartoum from June 7 to 17, and is aimed to encourage Sudan's local industries and attract local and foreign investors to invest in the country's industrial sector.

"This exhibition is organized annually by the Sudanese Ministry of Industry in partnership with the Sudanese Free Zones and Markets Company and GIAD Industrial Group," Yahya Mohamed Idriss, director of exhibitions division at GIAD industrial complex, told Xinhua on Monday.

"The exhibition constitutes an opportunity to inform with the local industries and promote the industrial groups," he noted.

He said the local Sudanese industries have been affected by the country's economic conditions and the economic siege on Sudan.

"The industrial sector has mainly been affected by the sanctions on Sudan as industrial spare parts are not available, which makes it hard to keep up with the technological development," said Idriss.

He went on saying "despite the sanctions, the national industry is establishing itself and producing high quality products that are able to compete with the imported commodities. We have also managed to reach external markets within our Arab and regional surroundings."

In the meantime, Idriss commended the standing partnerships between the Sudanese industrial sector and some foreign countries, namely China, to indigenize industry in Sudan, noting that "countries like China provide us with crude materials so that our industry can continue."

He said under the current conditions, Sudan is the fourth largest industrial countries in Africa, pointing out that the organizers of the exhibition were seeking to enhance the citizens' trust in their national products and achieve self-sufficiency.

Osman Mahmoud Mohamed Omer, head of a wing of Saria, one of the biggest industrial complex in Sudan, said that "it is true that there is some reluctance on the part of the citizens toward local products compared to the imported ones, but through further promotion and provision of necessary guarantees, this negative attitude towards what is locally made can be changed."

Sadiya Abdel-Salam, a visitor of the exhibition, told Xinhua that "I was surprised with the products of the Sudanese factories. I believe they are of high-quality, but these industrial complexes need to double their efforts to inform with their merchandises."

"Under the current economic conditions and the high prices, people can buy the local products if they are of high quality and reasonable prices. We need to change our consumption culture and encourage the national industry," she noted.

Sudan earlier raised many logos to indigenize industry and achieve self-sufficiency, but failed due to many reasons including the deterioration of infrastructure of roads, electricity and water besides multiple fees and levies and the issue of the spare-parts, which pushed many industries outside the production circle.

The industrial activity in Sudan focuses on limited fields such as processing industries that depend mainly on agricultural products, where textile, sugar and cooking oil industries are booming with the oil production hitting about three million tons.

Sudan is also considered the first Arab ethanol-producing country, and the second African country after South Africa, where Sudan's ethanol production is set at around 50 million liters.

Light and heavy industries have recently flourished in Sudan such as cars assemblage at GIAD Industrial Company in Gezira State and aircraft manufacturing at Safat company as well as iron and steel industries and others. Endit