Prolonged conflict deals heavy blow to Sudan's oil industry

China

Prolonged conflict deals heavy blow to Sudan's oil industry

2024-09-30 15:29 Last Updated At：19:27

The prolonged conflict in Sudan has dealt a severe blow to the country's oil industry, resulting in the closure of some refineries and widespread shortages of gas and diesel in many areas.

Oil production in Sudan has significantly declined since the conflicts broke out over a year ago with the destruction of oil refinery facilities and a brain drain in the sector as many professionals seek employment outside of the country.

"Part of the losses, in addition to the facilities and the production and the data, the people, the executive people that are accumulating experience for the technical and administration people that are working in oil and gas, obviously, and downstream and midstream -- we may lose most of them, because most of them now move outside Sudan, and they look for jobs outside," said Ayman Abu Al-Goukh, a Sudanese oil industry expert.

Gas and diesel shortages that began in Sudan in the second half of last year have led to the closure of many gas stations and a threefold increase in prices.

The shortages have also resulted in power outages across the country, with a majority of areas now facing power cuts lasting several hours each day.

Promotional measures launched across China to boost holiday consumption

2024-09-30 18:52 Last Updated At：19:17

Local authorities across China are stepping up efforts to support equipment update and consumer goods trade-in, to meet the consumption demands during the upcoming National Day holiday from Oct 1 to 7.

An international exhibition displaying new energy vehicle (NEVs) kicked off ahead of the holiday in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, to showcase the latest achievements and innovations in the industry during the week-long event.

"Hefei City has issued auto vouchers worth 37 million yuan (5.28 U.S. million dollars) to boost auto consumptions during the National Day holiday and the auto show," said Hu Jing, an official with the city's bureau of commerce.

In De'an County, east China's Jiangxi Province, major furniture malls have recently launched trade-in activities while showcasing a wide array of items, including traditional furniture and smart homeware.

To provide consumers with a more comfortable experience in home improvement and upgrades, retailers have also introduced a range of preferential measures.

"Customers can receive a subsidy of up to 20 percent when trading in old homeware. Additionally, in line with the consumption surge during the holiday, we have introduced a new batch of environmentally-friendly smart home devices featuring high-cost-performance," said Cai Ge, general manager of a furniture mall.