Press Release
New Minister of Finance Deceives the People through his Announcement that the Upcoming Budgets are Free from More Taxation and Pricing
(Translated)

The new Minister of Finance Badr ad-Deen Mahmoud, in a meeting with laborers on 2013/12/15, stated that one of the primary characteristics of the budget for 2014 was that it did not include taxes or an increase in prices. [at-Taghyir Newspaper, 16/12/2013]

The government continues to practice deception and word manipulation with its people, as the new Finance Minister began his first term with laughable statements while calamities are not amusing. Under the Capitalist system which is implemented in the country, the prices of products and services are influenced by the exchanges rates in which Sudan is in most flux and instability. More so, the regional currency continues to plummet in the face of the dollar. And thus, on what basis can this Minister guarantee the fixity the exchange rates under a regime whose currency is directly linked with the dollar, subordinating to it!

In regards to the Minister's claim that the 2014 budget will not include an increase in taxation, this is another mockery to the people. These claims are made in a time in which taxation had increased by 22%, custom taxes have increased by 120% while more than 65% of the costs on products are taxes. In saying such, can any rational person make such claims such as those made by the Minister?!

Taxation and custom taxes are the basis of the 2014 budget as well as the basis for any revenue capitalist system of accumulation that is imposed on the people. Whereas the 2014 Budget which the Minister claims is free from taxation and price increases, amounts to 27.9 million Pounds. These taxations and custom taxes are prohibited according to the Shari' as the Prophet (saw) said,

«لا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ صَاحِبُ مَكْسٍ»

"The owner [issuer] of custom taxes will not enter paradise." [Narrated by Imam Ahmad]

Prices will not be stabilized unless the national currency is stabilized and the national currency cannot be stable without a real monetary system which, in turn, requires a gold and silver basis - the foundation of a legitimate Islamic monetary system.

The age of deception has ended and our great Ummah can no longer be fooled by these deceptions.  Tomorrow, the light of the Khilafah "Caliphate" will shine on the world and the Ummah will be encompassed by its justice. It will establish an economic system based on Islam, in which there is no place for heavy taxations and custom taxes.

The winds of real change based on Islam are inevitable, through the implementation of our Lord's obligation, and the promise and glad tidings of our Prophet (saw) of the establishment of the second Khilafah "Caliphate" on the Methodology of the Prophet.

Ibrahim Othman (Abu Khalil)

 Official Spokesman of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Sudan