Sudan to launch gold stock exchange

Sudan plans to set up a market to trade gold that will set a standard price in line with global rates for the precious metal.

Sudan is the third-biggest producer of gold in Africa behind South Africa and Ghana. In 2018 it produced an estimated 93 tonnes.

But for many years gold has been smuggled out of the country, because better prices were available abroad.

This is the latest step in the government's efforts to regulate an industry which promises to be a major contributor to the economy.

The transitional government in Khartoum has been trying to overcome shortages of imported fuel and flour, with inflation running at 80%.

There is an acute shortage of foreign currency and this week the US dollar rose to almost double the official rate of the Sudanese pound on the black market.