Housing Finance in Sudan

Macroeconomic Overview

In November 2019 the Sovereign Council, a transitional joint civilian-military executive body, assumed control of the Sudanese government, following the 30-year rule of President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir and the eruption of civil unrest and protests.[1] Sudan has a legacy of regional economic, political and social instability, decades of economic sanctions, and armed conflict and civil war, which have resulted in a lack of basic infrastructure, food insecurity, and limited access to humanitarian aid and development within a harsh environment plagued by water scarcity and desertification.[2] The Sudanese economy was mainly driven and reliant on the oil sector and resulting foreign direct investment which was destabilised following the secession of South Sudan in 2011, where the predominant oil reserves are located.[3]

The economy is reportedly mainly agriculturally-based, although the sector is still largely subsistence with low productivity levels.[4] The focus on an agriculturally-based economy supports “first a reduction of unemployment and greater engagement of the labour force; and second, by raising the incomes in agriculture that may reduce the income inequality.”[5]

The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) has been in decline since 2015, dropping from over US$74.3 billion (SD4.1 trillion) to US$18.9 billion (SD955 billion) in 2019, with the gross national income (GNI) per capita dropping from US$1 690 (SD93 440) to US$590 (SD32 621) in the same period and the 2020 GDP growth reported at -4 percent.[6] The annual rate of inflation reported in June 2020 was 136.3 percent in contrast to 64.3 percent in January 2020[7], with pressure from food and fuel prices, which have intensified due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] As Sudan abides by an Islamic banking structure, there is no official interest rate applied by the Central Bank. The Murabaha Profit Margin Rate controlled by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBOS)[9] was reported at 15.8 percent in June 2020.[10]

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, interventions by governmental and non-governmental actors have included food distribution and social support, humanitarian aid, prevention programmes, community communication and outreach, national strategic support, and establishing isolation facilities.[11]

[1] Central Intelligence Agency. The World Fact Book. Africa. Sudan. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/su.html (Accessed 28 August 2020).

[2] Central Intelligence Agency. The World Fact Book. Africa. Sudan. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/su.html (Accessed 28 August 2020).

[3]World Bank (2019). The World Bank in Sudan. 2 April 2019. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/sudan/overview (Accessed 29 August 2020).

[4]  World Bank Group (2015). Sudan Country Economic Memorandum-Realizing the Potential for Diversified Development. 30 September 2015. http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/684971474437337198/pdf/103352-REVISED-SudanCountryEconomicMemorandumRealizingthePotentialforDiversifiedDevelopmentTheWorldBankWashingtonDC.pdf (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 2.

[5]Ibid. Pg. 16.

[6] World Bank. Data. Sudan. https://data.worldbank.org/country/sudan (Accessed 30 August 2020).

[7] Central Bank of Sudan (2020). Policies, Research & Statistics Department: Economic and Financial Statistical Review January – June 2020. https://cbos.gov.sd/sites/default/files/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%B6%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A%20%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%81%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84%202020.pdf (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. iii

[8] Trading Economics. Sudan Inflation Rate. https://tradingeconomics.com/sudan/inflation-cpi (Accessed 30 August 2020).

[9] Ibid

[10] Central Bank of Sudan (2020). Policies, Research & Statistics Department: Economic and Financial Statistical Review January – June 2020. https://cbos.gov.sd/sites/default/files/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%B6%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A%20%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%81%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84%202020.pdf (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 34.

[11] Kunna, E. (2020). Sudan: Managing COVID-19 Pandemic During a Time of Transition. 29 May 2020. Arab Reform Initiative. https://www.arab-reform.net/publication/sudan-managing-covid-19-pandemic-during-a-time-of-transition/ (Accessed 30 August 2020).

Access to Finance

The Sudanese financial sector is seen to have been compromised as a result of international sanctions imposed since 1997 with the withdrawal of many correspondent banking relationships.[1] The financial system is defined as small with low levels of inclusivity, particularly beyond major urban centres.[2] The CBOS lists 35 operating banks in the country.[3] The CBOS holds majority shares in several banks and financial institutions, creating a conflict of interest with its role as industry regulator.[4] An assessment conducted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) resolved that the fiscal governance practices in Sudan lacked transparency; failed to adhere to best practices and standards, with poor quality and timeliness of the data which is difficult to reconcile across institutions; and lacked impartial oversight and governance structures including a legal specification of authority, duties and required accountabilities.[5]

There is limited information available on the specification of mortgage-related products, the terms therein and the banks which offer such products. The CBOS does not provide supporting data on the sector and prior yearbook reports have confirmed that there was a policy dissuading investment within the housing sector through a moratorium on property loans for approximately five years. This can be attributed in part to the restrictions of an Islamic finance system with Sharia principles requiring accommodations for risk-sharing, leasing and interest-free loans.[6]

In 2009, as an attempt to bridge the financing gap, the CBOS encouraged the expansion of Islamic microfinance services, with the intent that this could address “social needs such as housing and agriculture”.[7] Banks were required to:

• Allocate a minimum of 12 percent of their portfolios to microfinance;
• Create microfinance units which would report plans to the CBOS; and
• Roll out media-based outreach programmes.[8]

The result has been the establishment of “10 microfinance institutions, microfinance windows in 12 banks and the creation of ‘micro’ products available for poor clients in five insurance companies”.[9] However, the primary market being served by these products is the agricultural sector.

During the pandemic, economic stimulus and relief measures have prioritised funding toward implementation of healthcare, for which a budget estimate of US$120 million (SD6.6 billion) is required to tackle the crisis in Sudan.[10] The relief measures identified would focus on direct contributions such as providing unemployment benefits and food packages.

Inadequate access to housing finance is an obstacle for Sudanese homeseekers at multiple economic levels. The nature of an Islamic financial system restricts the viability for commercialisation and private sector-driven product development. The products, as with microfinance, need to be adapted to target the required need and adapt to the restrictions of the legal framework.

[1] International Monetary Fund (2020). IMF Country Report No. 20/73: Sudan Selected Issues. March 2020. https://www.imf.org/~/media/Files/Publications/CR/2020/English/1SDNEA2020002.ash (Accessed 28 August 2020). Pg. 11.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Central Bank of Sudan (2020). Operating Banks in Sudan. https://cbos.gov.sd/en/content/operating-banks-sudan (Accessed 30 August 2020).

[4] International Monetary Fund (2020). IMF Country Report No. 20/73: Sudan Selected Issues. March 2020. https://www.imf.org/~/media/Files/Publications/CR/2020/English/1SDNEA2020002.ash (Accessed 28 August 2020).

[5] International Monetary Fund (2020). IMF Country Report No. 20/73: Sudan Selected Issues. March 2020. https://www.imf.org/~/media/Files/Publications/CR/2020/English/1SDNEA2020002.ash (Accessed 28 August 2020). Pg. 12.

[6] Soutoul, S. (2017). Islamic Microfinance in Sudan Helping to Reduce Poverty. 23 October 2017. The Borgen Project. https://borgenproject.org/islamic-microfinance-in-sudan/#:~:text=Microfinance%20has%20become%20a%20crucial,access%20to%20traditional%20financial%20services.&text=Islamic%20microfinance%20in%20Sudan%20has,banking%20system%20being%20fully%20Islamic (Accessed 30 August 2020).

[7] Ghandour, D. (2015). Microfinance in Sudan is Still in its Infancy Stage. International Journal of Research in Management

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dina_Ghandour2/publication/322925342_Microfinance_in_Sudan_Is_Still_At_Infancy_Stage/links/5a76f44345851541ce594c5d/Microfinance-in-Sudan-Is-Still-At-InfancyStage.pdf?origin=publication_detail (Accessed 26 August 2020). Pg. 3.

[8] Ghandour, D. (2015). Microfinance in Sudan is Still in its Infancy Stage. International Journal of Research in Management

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dina_Ghandour2/publication/322925342_Microfinance_in_Sudan_Is_Still_At_Infancy_Stage/links/5a76f44345851541ce594c5d/Microfinance-in-Sudan-Is-Still-At-InfancyStage.pdf?origin=publication_detail (Accessed 26 August 2020). Pg. 3.

[9] Soutoul, S. (2017). Islamic Microfinance in Sudan Helping to Reduce Poverty. 23 October 2017. The Borgen Project. https://borgenproject.org/islamic-microfinance-in-sudan/#:~:text=Microfinance%20has%20become%20a%20crucial,access%20to%20traditional%20financial%20services.&text=Islamic%20microfinance%20in%20Sudan%20has,banking%20system%20being%20fully%20Islamic (Accessed 30 August 2020).

[10] KPMG (2020). Sudan Government and institution measures in response to COVID-19. 19 April 2020. https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2020/04/sudan-government-and-institution-measures-in-response-to-covid.html (Accessed 30 August 2020).

Affordability

The range of building costs per square metre varies from SD1 200m² (US$66m²) to SD3 000m² (US$166m²) depending on construction type.[1] Basic housing remains largely unaffordable for most Sudanese people as the cost of construction is excessively high compared to salaries, with a high market average income of SD5 358 (US$97)[2] a month, and excludes the cost of land. It would take “between 20 and 84 years depending on the type of house and interest rates, assuming a savings rate of 25 percent of income.”[3] The high cost of construction is attributed to increasing government tariffs on materials, which are largely imported, value-added tax, services, equipment rental and labour costs.[4]

The reality is that in key urban centres in Sudan such as Khartoum the price of real estate is earmarked for the elite. Vacant land in desirable locations in Khartoum costs as much as SD82 936m² (US$1 500m²).[5] The prices are attributed to high demand, government policies, rising inflation rates and the weak local currency value.[6]  Research between 1997 and 2006 indicated that the costs of housing, water and electricity grew at twice the rate of tradable goods such as food, clothing and consumer items.[7] Studies in 2009 indicated that most low income households (50 percent of the population) could afford a house of non-durable materials, 10 percent to 15 percent could afford houses of durable materials, and five percent of high income households could afford houses of advanced materials.[8]

The local government in Khartoum has attempted a response to the housing issue by creating the Housing and Construction Fund in Khartoum City, intended to enable access to adequate housing for all social classes.[9] The project was unsuccessful for several reasons. First, its funding was meant to be sourced through profits from luxury housing, but low demand for luxury housing meant there were no funds to develop public housing.[10] Second, eligibility was determined by a rating system prioritising applicants who had lived in the city for more than 10 years. [11] Third, proof of formal employment was required as part of the application, thereby marginalising those working in the informal sector.[12] Last, public housing development was not done on well-located land close to employment opportunities, but rather on the outskirts of the city centre. As such, and also because of poor public transport infrastructure, the travel costs to workplaces made the developments untenable for the target market.[13]

High rates of inflation of imported goods and materials and a Consumer Price Index (CPI) that rose from SD2 535 (US$46) in January to SD4 395 (US$79) in June 2020[14] make housing unaffordable. In turn, sanitation infrastructure is also underdeveloped and the country is categorised as having a high risk of spread for major infectious diseases,[15] which given the current pandemic is a pressure point for the country.

The Sudanese pound continues to depreciate rapidly, high inflation is affecting household spending power, the country faces shortages of fuel, cooking gas and bread, and the measures implemented to halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus place further strain on an already compromised economy.[16]

[1] Dongla, M.A. (2019). State of the Housing Industry – Sudan. Sudanese Contractors Association.  http://www.internationalhousingassociation.org/fileUpload_details.aspx?contentTypeID=3&contentID=266313&subContentID=721497&channelID=38488 (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 11.

[2] Numbeo. Cost of Living in Sudan. https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Sudan (Accessed 30 August 2020).

[3] Dongla, M.A. (2019). State of the Housing Industry – Sudan. Sudanese Contractors Association.  http://www.internationalhousingassociation.org/fileUpload_details.aspx?contentTypeID=3&contentID=266313&subContentID=721497&channelID=38488 (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 12.

[4]Ibid. Pg. 12.

[5] Ibid. Pg. 14.

[6] Dongla, M.A. (2019). State of the Housing Industry – Sudan. Sudanese Contractors Association.  http://www.internationalhousingassociation.org/fileUpload_details.aspx?contentTypeID=3&contentID=266313&subContentID=721497&channelID=38488 (Accessed 30 August 2020).  Pg. 14.

[7] Dongla, M.A. (2019). State of the Housing Industry – Sudan. Sudanese Contractors Association.  http://www.internationalhousingassociation.org/fileUpload_details.aspx?contentTypeID=3&contentID=266313&subContentID=721497&channelID=38488 (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 14.

[8] Dongla, M.A. (2019). State of the Housing Industry – Sudan. Sudanese Contractors Association.  http://www.internationalhousingassociation.org/fileUpload_details.aspx?contentTypeID=3&contentID=266313&subContentID=721497&channelID=38488. (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 14.

[9] Omer, K. (2018). Policy Reform, not Evictions! The Case of Slum Urbanisation in Khartoum, Sudan. 20 September 2020. Urbanet. https://www.urbanet.info/sudan-slum-urbanisation/ (Accessed 30 August 2020).

[10] Ibid.

[11]Ibid.

[12]Ibid.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Central Bank of Sudan (2020). Policies, Research & Statistics Department: Economic and Financial Statistical Review January – June 2020. https://cbos.gov.sd/sites/default/files/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%B6%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A%20%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%81%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84%202020.pdf (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 44.

[15] Central Intelligence Agency. The World Fact Book. Africa. Sudan. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/su.html (Accessed 28 August 2020).

[16] Kunna, E. (2020). Sudan: Managing COVID-19 Pandemic during a Time of Transition. 29 May 2020. Arab Reform Initiative. https://www.arab-reform.net/publication/sudan-managing-covid-19-pandemic-during-a-time-of-transition/ (Accessed 30 August 2020).

 

Housing Supply

In 2008 the National Fund for Housing and Reconstruction was launched to address sustainable urban development through the construction and market development of affordable housing at various income levels.[1] This programme has, however, been constrained by limited funding. Sudanese citizens are reportedly addressing their own housing needs with their own savings and transfers from remittances.[2]

There have, however, been a number of notable housing projects over the years. The core issues within these projects have been concerns of funding, lack of sustainable local materials and ill-considered design typologies, and location challenges. The housing projects include:

• New Deims Resettlement Project of 1949, located in Khartoum town, included 1 233 residential plots. This project was self-built and not funded by the state.[3]
• El Shabyia Project of 1963-1985 in Khartoum North focused on workers’ housing within an industrial area of 1 048 units. The recipients had to have a down payment of 10 percent of the total cost of the house and the services provided, with the balance paid in instalments over a 20 years.[4]
• Al Iskan Project of 1975, west-south of Khartoum town, consisting of 200 prototype units.[5]
• Elthora hara 72, northwest of Omdurman in Karari locality, was constructed by a state fund and broke ground in 2003. It encompassed 674 low-cost housing units, 410 middle income units, and 62 high income units.[6] It included upfront payments of 20 percent of the total cost of the house and the services, with remainders payable in instalments over a period of 12 years.[7]
• Al Rasheed Pilot Project by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in Khartoum between 2008 and 2010 included 400 semi-detached units, as well as a pilot for low-cost sewage waste and a water treatment system, and construction training for masons and specialists to build 500 public and private pit latrines.[8]

These models failed to provide a sustainable replication model catering for the low income housing market, which is currently still underserved with 50 percent of urban dwellers living in informal settlements.[9]

[1] UN-Habitat (2014). Sudan’s Report For United Nations’ Third Conference On Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, (Habitat III), 2016. December 2014. http://habitat3.org/wp-content/uploads/Sudan-National-Report.pdf (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg.43.

[2] Dongla, M.A. (2019). State of the Housing Industry – Sudan. Sudanese Contractors Association.  http://www.internationalhousingassociation.org/fileUpload_details.aspx?contentTypeID=3&contentID=266313&subContentID=721497&channelID=38488 (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 15.

[3] Awad, Z.E. (2019). Sustainable low-cost housing in Sudan between Theory and Practice. International Journal of Engineering Research and General Science Volume 7, Issue 5, September-October 2019. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zuhal_Awad2/publication/336375363_Sustainable_low-cost_housing_in_Sudan_between_Theory_and_Practice/links/5d9f06ac299bf13f40d170ae/Sustainable-low-cost-housing-in-Sudan-between-Theory-and-Practice.pdf?origin=publication_detail (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pgs. 86-96.

[4] Ibid. Pgs. 86-96.

[5]Ibid. Pgs. 86-96.

[6]Ibid. Pg. 93.

[7] Ibid. Pg. 96.

[8]Ibid. Pgs. 86-96.

[9] Omer, K. (2018). Policy Reform, not Evictions! The Case of Slum Urbanisation in Khartoum, Sudan. 20 September 2020. Urbanet. https://www.urbanet.info/sudan-slum-urbanisation/ (Accessed 30 August 2020).

Property Markets

The higher income market for housing within Khartoum has been growing, in which the private sector is able to find investment partners based on potential returns. However, the industry remains constrained by statutory development processes. As of 2020, it takes 255 days to obtain construction permits based on the World Bank Doing Business report, with 11 days to register the property at a rate of 2.6 percent of the property value.[1]

The majority of Sudanese live in simple houses of their own (86 percent dwellings are owner-occupied) or rent from landlords or agricultural scheme authorities.[2] Housing can be classified into four types of tenure status: owned, rented, provided as part of work, and free dwelling.[3] This ownership, however, relates specifically to the dwelling itself and not the land on which it is located. The central government struggles to formalise land tenure and titles, with most land owned by the state which does not recognise customary land tenure; as such land is allocated on a leasehold basis.[4] As only 2.3 percent of the adult population have access to credit,[5] with a mortgage sector that is still underdeveloped, the property market is limited to those who can afford to purchase from savings or cash reserves. Private sector investment in real estate is thereby noted as a complex series of agreements and informal leases between land brokers.

[1] World Bank (2020). Doing Business 2020. Economy Profile Sudan. https://www.doingbusiness.org/content/dam/doingBusiness/country/s/sudan/SDN.pdf (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 4.

[2] Ismail Ahmed Ali, S. and Szalay, Z. (2019). Towards developing a building typology for Sudan. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/323/1/012012/pdf (Accessed 31 August 2020). Pg. 4.

[3] Ibid.Pg. 4.

[4] World Bank (2020. Doing Business2020. Economy Profile Sudan. https://www.doingbusiness.org/content/dam/doingBusiness/country/s/sudan/SDN.pdf (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 25.

[5] World Bank (2020. Doing Business 2020. Economy Profile Sudan. https://www.doingbusiness.org/content/dam/doingBusiness/country/s/sudan/SDN.pdf. (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 32.

Policy and Legislation

There is limited definition of the direct policies implemented by the state to develop housing. The approaches have been largely project and programme-based, such as the Khartoum housing and development fund. They are intended to support low income families by providing housing with minimum structure for eligible families, according to a point system.[1] The fund is currently inhibited by “deficiencies in infrastructure, inappropriate policies, and the financial and technical weaknesses of local institutions that hinder the potential for progress.”[2]

At the centre of the housing challenge in Sudan is access to land. During the period of political and economic instability, control and management of prime land in Khartoum was always contentious. This has translated to policies on informal housing “that combined particularly violent actions of eviction and displacement of squatters to the outskirts of the city with programmes that sought to allocate parcels of land on the urban fringes.”[3] Various conflicts around land have increased significantly “in which a plot of land might change hands several times a year, sold on by an intermediary or an unscrupulous landowner, or an attempt to regularise a transaction might be blocked by local authorities.”[4]

Also, the lack of access to finance tools is a hindrance to individual economic upliftment. The “regime change has created a window of opportunity for essential reforms and improving governance could prove fundamental in addressing major macro imbalances and revamp broad-based growth.”[5] The implications of the pandemic have, however, resulted in a global redirection of national investment and resource allocation to address the immediate needs to ensure basic survival.

[1] Awad, Z.E. and Jaafer, Z. (2016). Sustainability evaluation for low-cost housing projects in Sudan with special reference to Khartoum State Fund for Housing and Development projects. Journal of Engineering and Architecture. Volume 4, No.2 2016. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324149738_AwadZE_and_JaaferZ_Sustainability_evaluation_for_lowcost_housing_projects_in_Sudan_with_special_reference_to_Khartoum_State_Fund_for_Housing_and_Development_projectsJournal_of_Engineering_and_Archite (Accessed 31 August 2020). Pg. 4.

[2]Ibid. Pg. 4.

[3] Franck, A. (2018). Land Insecurity in Khartoum: When Land Titles Fail to Protect Against Public Predation. 6 June 2018. Metro politics. https://www.metropolitiques.eu/Land-Insecurity-in-Khartoum-When-Land-Titles-Fail-to-Protect-Against-Public.html (Accessed 31 August 2020).

[4] Franck, A. (2018). Land Insecurity in Khartoum: When Land Titles Fail to Protect Against Public Predation. 6 June 2018. Metro politics. https://www.metropolitiques.eu/Land-Insecurity-in-Khartoum-When-Land-Titles-Fail-to-Protect-Against-Public.html (Accessed 31 August 2020).

[5] International Monetary Fund (2020). IMF Country Report No. 20/73: Sudan Selected Issues. March 2020. https://www.imf.org/~/media/Files/Publications/CR/2020/English/1SDNEA2020002.ash (Accessed 28 August 2020). Pg. 5.

Opportunities

Sudan has the opportunity to develop local capacity in the supply of technologies and materials for basic construction. It is “important to find methods to modify the existing construction types and seek suitable alternatives for them at an acceptable cost.”[1] “The search for alternative materials and building technologies affordable for the middle and low income classes is assumed to be one of the possible solutions to urban housing as well as for rural housing.”[2] This is crucial to build local capacity, decrease the cost of building materials and diversify local economic opportunities. A sustainable housing sector requires capacitation of local authorities to create housing policies that align with sustainable development goals and objectives; enabling community participation in project planning and decision-making to ensure sustainability of interventions; and, at the family level, empowerment of residents to modify their housing to meet individual needs.[3]

[1] Awad, Z.E. (2019). Sustainable low-cost housing in Sudan between Theory and Practice. International Journal of Engineering Research and General Science Volume 7, Issue 5, September-October 2019. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zuhal_Awad2/publication/336375363_Sustainable_low-cost_housing_in_Sudan_between_Theory_and_Practice/links/5d9f06ac299bf13f40d170ae/Sustainable-low-cost-housing-in-Sudan-between-Theory-and-Practice.pdf?origin=publication_detail (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 100.

[2] Dongla, M.A. (2019). State of the Housing Industry – Sudan. Sudanese Contractors Association.  http://www.internationalhousingassociation.org/fileUpload_details.aspx?contentTypeID=3&contentID=266313&subContentID=721497&channelID=38488 (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 17.

[3] Awad, Z.E. (2019). Sustainable low-cost housing in Sudan between Theory and Practice. International Journal of Engineering Research and General Science Volume 7, Issue 5, September-October 2019. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zuhal_Awad2/publication/336375363_Sustainable_low-cost_housing_in_Sudan_between_Theory_and_Practice/links/5d9f06ac299bf13f40d170ae/Sustainable-low-cost-housing-in-Sudan-between-Theory-and-Practice.pdf?origin=publication_detail (Accessed 30 August 2020). Pg. 100.

 

COVID-19 response

A governmental task team, the High Committee for Health Emergencies, was formed to co-ordinate the country’s COVID-19 response efforts, comprising representatives from the Ministries of Health, Labour and Social Welfare, Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, Information, and Finance, as well as the head of the Central Bank of Sudan and representatives of the army, the police and the security services. The Sudanese Security and Defence Council declared a state of health emergency on 16 March 2020, three days after the first reported case of COVID-19.  The protocols included “closing all airports, land and sea border crossings, apart from aid, technical and humanitarian support.”[1] As the epicentre of the pandemic within the country, the state of Khartoum was placed under a total lockdown on 13 April 2020.

From the perspective of local and international aid and investment, there is little evidence of prioritisation around housing delivery or finance as a specific outcome or mechanism for social development.

[1] Kunna, E. (2020). Sudan: Managing COVID-19 Pandemic during a Time of Transition. 29 May 2020. Arab Reform Initiative. https://www.arab-reform.net/publication/sudan-managing-covid-19-pandemic-during-a-time-of-transition/ (Accessed 30 August 2020).

Availability of data on housing finance

There is limited information publicly available and online specifically on housing and housing finance. Sources such as the Central Bank of Sudan (www.cbos.gov.sd/), the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (mof.gov.sd/), the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Urban Planning (/www.mepd.gov.sd/) and the Central Bureau of Statistics (www.cbs.gov.sd/index.php/), have intermittent data available with links and archives not accessible or only available in Arabic.

Further, the IMF reports that the “inherent fragility of the country is its limited institutional capacity, the lack of reliable and timely data and in general an inadequate level of transparency.” [1]

[1] International Monetary Fund (2020). IMF Country Report No. 20/73: Sudan Selected Issues. March 2020. https://www.imf.org/~/media/Files/Publications/CR/2020/English/1SDNEA2020002.ash (Accessed 28 August 2020). Pg. 4.

Websites

Central Bank of Sudan https://cbos.gov.sd/en/

Central Bureau of Statistics www.cbs.gov.sd

Centre for Affordable Housing Finance https://housingfinanceafrica.org/

Doing Business https://www.doingbusiness.org/

International Monetary Fund https://www.imf.org

Land Links https://www.land-links.org/country-profile/sudan/#1528487721845-dfe68c5f-9ebf

Making Finance Work for Africa https://www.mfw4a.org/country/sudan

Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning www.mof.gov.sd

Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Urban Planning www.mepd.gov.sd

Numbeo https://www.numbeo.com

Sudan Microfinance Development Facility http://www.mfu.gov.sd

Trading Economics https://tradingeconomics.com

UNICEF https://www.unicef.org/sudan/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-information-centre

World Bank https://www.worldbank.org/

World Bank Data https://data.worldbank.org/country/sudan