Sudanese Inflation Accelerates to 28.6% in April on Food

Sudan’s inflation rate increased to 28.6 percent in April from 22.4 percent a month earlier, spurred by rising food prices, the Central Bureau of Statistics said.

Prices of food and drinks, the biggest component in the consumer price index, advanced 5.5 percent from the previous month, the Khartoum-based agency in an e-mailed statement today. Sugar, corn and red meat costs recorded increases of 12 percent, 9.1 percent and 6.6 percent, respectively, it said.

The highest inflation rate was recorded in the state of North Darfur, where the figure was 48.3 percent.

Sudan has targeted inflation of below 17 percent this year, while its budget deficit is forecast to narrow to 3 percent of gross domestic product from about 5 percent in 2011, Finance Minister Ali Mahmoud Abdel Rasoul said on Dec. 1.

To contact the reporter on this story: Salma El Wardany in Khartoum at selwardany@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net