Editorial :Better Late than Never

In his speech before the National Assembly yesterday, Al Bashir pledged to conduct structural reforms in the government that will include the reduction of constitutional posts at the level of the presidency and institutions under the presidency, the National Assembly, number of federal ministries, ministers, state ministers, contracted experts working for the presidency and the cabinet. The planned reduction will also include constitutional posts in states’ executives and legislatures by nearly 45 to 56%.
The President announced the reduction of privileges and entitlements of constitutional post holders in the centre and states and that will include salaries, allowances and travel tickets and only one vehicle would be allocated for each official and motor bikes allocated to senior officials would be withdrawn. 
The budget would be reviewed to prioritize spending and plans to build new government buildings would be put on hold and the government procurement and contracting would be tightly controlled and purchase from local market would be encouraged.
Provisions of the accountability and financial transactions Act would be strictly implemented including the contracts and procurement Act. Recruitment procedures would also be strictly followed and controlled and all state bodies and machinery would be subject to the Auditor General Chambers and smuggling would be combated.
The above package of measures besides others included in the President speech intended to address the issue of public spending in an unprecedented way.
However, to come late is better than none is what the citizens' comments over the announced package of economic reforms.
The decisions gave the people a great feeling that the state is heading towards austerity starting with the restructure, a matter that indicates that the government will shoulder the economical crisis consequences.
The Sudanese people from all walks of life consider the emergency conditions with full responsibility and this represents a historical stance which will make the opposition reconsider its plans and present programmes to overcome the crisis instead of calling people to go to the streets and protest.
Back to the President's speech, it is recognized, from our first reading, that it was built in two pillars namely the Federal rule and the South Sudan secession consequences.
In other words the speech was based on the effect of the political decisions over the economics reality.
This brings to the mind the argument on who is more effective over the other, politics or the economy?
We believe that the present reality supports the view that politics affects the economy and life of citizens.