Editorial: Inflation and Salaries Increase!

In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.
When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services.
Consequently, inflation also reflects erosion in the purchasing power of money – a loss of real value in the internal medium of exchange and unit of account in the economy.
A chief measure of price inflation is the inflation rate, the annualized percentage change in a general price index (normally the Consumer Price Index) over time
Negative effects of inflation include a decrease in the real value of money and other monetary items over time, uncertainty over future inflation which may discourage investment and savings, and if inflation is rapid enough, shortages of goods as consumers begin hoarding out of concern that prices will increase in the future.
Based on the above we believe that Sudan Workers Trade Unions Federation (SWTUF) subjecting lifting fuel subsides to increase in the salaries doesn’t serve the issue.
SWTUF proposal serves the interests of only one sector in the Sudanese population, which is those who are working in the public institutions, leaving the rest of the sectors suffering from the inflation.
However, the SWTUF role should go beyond serving the category of workers considering that the trade unions in general conduct periodic studies to assess the economic situation, hence forward proposals to the governments in order to overcome any economic difficulties that affect the citizens in general and not only those working in public institutions.
The role of the SWTUF should address the public issues and lead the popular moves to achieve the economic demands.
It goes without saying that the numbers of those working in public institution represent a very limited sector compared to other sectors.
Assuming that the government will accept the SWTUF demand to increase the salaries of workers, a very limited number of citizens will find compensation to the expected increase in fuel, besides managing to buy the commodities with the new prices after lifting fuel subsidies.
The government is responsible for all the citizens and not only towards those working in its institutions.
We urge the concerned authorities to look for alternatives other than the increase in salaries because increasing salaries represents official declaration to inflation with will affect all the citizens.