April 27 (Reuters) - Sudan is banning imports of a wide range of foods, consumer goods and industrial inputs in a bid to stem the slide in its currency, according to a document seen by Reuters on Monday.
The Sudanese pound, already badly weakened by three years of war, has fallen about 10% to 4,100 per dollar since the start of the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran in late February.
Goods deemed "luxuries and unnecessary" in a directive signed by Prime Minister Kamil Idris include biscuits and chocolates, plastic bags and containers, fruits and vegetables, rice, cement, toys, as well as "raw materials for companies."
The decision prompted swift criticism from business groups.
Al-Sadig Jalaleldin, head of Sudan's chamber of importers, described the move as "flawed, harmful, and ill-conceived," saying it would create monopolistic conditions for a select few.
The prime minister's office could not be reached for comment.
Three years of war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has devastated the economy, shutting down most industry, crippling agriculture and increasing smuggling of Sudan's main export, gold, deepening an already large trade deficit. At the start of the conflict, the pound traded at about 600 pounds to the dollar.
Although around 14 million Sudanese have been displaced, millions have returned as conditions in central Sudan stabilise, increasing demand for imports, particularly food and construction materials.
(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz. Writing by Nafisa Eltahir. Editing by Mark Potter)
