SUDAN 36. The Government has established different types of policies, programmes and institutions to cater for with these groups and offer them protection and assistance, beside the support provided by a wide range of local and external non-governmental organizations. The main public institutions responsible for the care of vulnerable groups are the National Corporation for Social Security, the Zakat Chamber, the Pensions Fund, the National Corporation for Health Insurance, the Humanitarian Aid Commission and the Commission of Refugees. 37. The following are recommended: • The Government to consider reviewing the memorandum of understanding signed with international NGOs and local voluntary humanitarian organizations to enable them serve the IDPs and refugees unhindered; • The logistics and operational capacity of the Humanitarian Affairs Commission should be enhanced to fill any gap vacated by an international NGO or local voluntary humanitarian organization that withdraws or is prohibited from rendering services to IDPs or refugees. Economic Governance and Management 38. Sudan is currently the third largest country in Africa with a total landmass of 1.86 million square kilometers. It is endowed with resources such as gold and oil, with fertile lands for food production and abundant livestock. The total population of Sudan has increased over the last decade, from 32.8 million to 40.2 million between 2006 and 2015. Sudan had a per capital income of USD 2,539 in 2015 and hence classified as a lower middle-income country (AU’s African Statistical Yearbook, 2016). 39. The structural shock caused by the secession of South Sudan and the dramatic fall in oil prices compounded the problem thereby impeding Government’s ability to sustain growth. In an effort to bridge the financing gap, the Government adopted a three-year Emergency Economic Recovery Programme (2011-2013) and implemented an austerity budget, including an exchange rate devaluation of about 66%, tax increases, a reduction in fuel subsidies, cuts in non-priority public expenditures, and a strengthening of social safety nets to cushion the impact of these reforms. A medium-term planning approach was adopted, which is expressed in an Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP). 40. The impact of the reforms is beginning to emerge. Fiscal consolidation and tight monetary policy helped curtail inflation from 36.9% in 2014 to 16.9% in 2015. Driven by the Government’s fiscal reforms, tax revenues rose to 68.7% of government revenues in 2014, up from 49.1% in 2011. The fiscal deficit-GDP ratio decreased from -3.5% to -0.9% between 2012 and 2014 but rose again to 1.2% in 2015 and was expected to increase to 1.6% in 2016. External debt burden on Sudan, which was 70.7% of GDP in 2013, remains a cause of concern in respect of its sustainability, even though it dropped to 56.3% of GDP in 2015. 41. The Sudanese authorities have raised optimism for sustainable development through the pursuit of drastic policies to address the economic shocks from the aftermath of both the secession of South Sudan and the dip in oil prices. The source of this concern largely rests on resource distribution, implementation of the policies, and strains of the sanctions imposed by the US Government. 42. Agriculture is a critical sector to Sudan’s economy. The agriculture and livestock sector accounts for approximately 30-35% of Sudan’s GDP, 80% of non-oil exports, and a source of livelihood for about 65% of the population. Rain-fed agriculture, which constitutes the greater proportion of cultivated land, reduced by 22.6%, and in turn slowed down the growth momentum in 2014. 43. Sudan’s total external debt as at 2011 was USD 41.4 billion (representing 59.4% of GDP), rising to USD 48.7 billion in 2015. Debt as proportion of GDP rose to about 61.7% in 2012 before settling at 56% in 2014. The 2014 Annual Report of the Central Bank puts the total debt as ratio of total exports at 1002% and 486% as ratio of total revenue. These ratios are well above the international standard of 30%, 100%, and 200% in that order, thus suggesting that the current debt profile is unsustainable and debt distressed. 44. A national debt strategy has been developed but is awaiting approval by the Government. However, the 08