{"id":211,"date":"2026-10-12T09:03:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T09:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rmsdemo.com\/projects\/sudan-independent-party\/web\/documents\/snip-pol-01\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T09:03:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T09:03:45","slug":"snip-pol-01","status":"publish","type":"party_document","link":"https:\/\/rmsdemo.com\/projects\/sudan-independent-party\/web\/documents\/snip-pol-01\/","title":{"rendered":"Vision of the New Independence Party for the Federal Fiscal System and Wealth Distribution"},"content":{"rendered":"

Document submitted by the Party pending approval by the General Convention.<\/em><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n

The New Independence Party presents this document to its membership and to the public as a proposed vision for regulating fiscal relations between the federal government, regions and governorates. It proceeds from the premise that a political union cannot be stable without clear fiscal justice, and that wealth-producing areas must benefit directly from that wealth, without natural resources becoming the exclusive property of any one area or a new cause of inequality and conflict.<\/p>\n

This vision is founded on the principles of equal citizenship, justice, balanced development, transparency, accountability, and relative fiscal autonomy for regions and governorates. It is also consistent with the Party\u2019s commitment to building a just federal system and addressing historical marginalisation, particularly in areas deprived of education, healthcare and basic infrastructure despite their contribution to the country\u2019s wealth.<\/p>\n

This document uses the term \u201cregion\u201d to denote a constituent unit of the federation, and \u201cgovernorate\u201d to denote an administrative and local subdivision within a region. It does not determine the number or boundaries of regions, as that requires study, public participation and a comprehensive constitutional settlement.<\/p>\n

The provisions and percentages set out below constitute a proposed vision submitted by the Party. They remain open to discussion and amendment and will not become adopted Party policy unless approved by the Party\u2019s General Convention. Once adopted, they will serve as a reference for the Party\u2019s position in the wider constitutional dialogue, without themselves replacing the Constitution or the law.<\/p>\n

I. Political Foundations of the Vision<\/h2>\n

1. Natural resources are the common property of the people and shall be managed for the benefit of present and future generations, while recognising the particular rights of producing areas and communities affected by production.<\/p>\n

2. Each level of government shall have its own constitutionally determined sources of revenue, so that regions and governorates are not wholly dependent on decisions of the central government.<\/p>\n

3. Revenues shall be distributed according to responsibilities: the authority charged with education, healthcare, roads and services must receive sufficient resources to discharge those functions.<\/p>\n

4. A region\u2019s share shall not be determined by population alone; development needs, poverty, area, the cost of providing services, the effects of war and displacement, and its own fiscal capacity shall also be considered.<\/p>\n

5. Revenue distribution must not be used to reward political loyalty or punish a region or community. All transfers shall be subject to a published formula capable of judicial review.<\/p>\n

6. Public resources shall be managed outside military, security and Party structures, and all proceeds shall enter public accounts subject to audit and publication.<\/p>\n

II. Lessons from Comparative Federal Systems<\/h2>\n

The Party does not adopt the model of any single country literally. The United States grants its states broad taxing autonomy without a fixed national percentage for distributing taxes. India combines regional revenues with a constitutional share of federal taxes, distributed according to criteria including need, capacity, area and population. Canada grants provinces extensive powers over natural resources and uses transfers to achieve fiscal equalisation. Nigeria grants producing areas a special share based on the origin of resources and then includes them in the general distribution.<\/p>\n

The Party\u2019s vision draws four elements from these experiences: local fiscal autonomy, sharing of national taxes, the rights of producing areas, and a fiscal equalisation fund among regions.<\/p>\n

III. Classification of Public Revenues<\/h2>\n

Revenues Belonging to Regions and Governorates<\/h2>\n

Each region and governorate shall retain, within its respective competence, 100% of the revenues allocated to it by the Constitution or law. These shall initially include:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Property taxes and taxes on non-national land.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Market fees, municipal service charges and local licensing fees.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Fees for internal transport, utilities and services administered by the region or governorate.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Income from projects and assets owned by the region or governorate.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Any other local taxes that do not conflict with the national tax system or impede trade between regions.<\/p>\n

Exclusively Federal Revenues<\/h2>\n

Revenues connected exclusively with sovereign federal functions, such as diplomatic fees and certain returns from federal assets, shall be allocated to the federal government. Their scope shall be narrowly and publicly defined by the Constitution and law.<\/p>\n

Shared National Revenues<\/h2>\n

These shall initially include income tax, corporate tax, value-added tax, customs duties, excise taxes and other taxes with a national tax base. They shall be deposited into a single account called the \u201cShared National Revenue Account\u201d. No tax may be excluded from this account merely by renaming it an additional fee or a special contribution.<\/p>\n

IV. Vertical Allocation Between the Federal Government and the Regions<\/h2>\n

As a starting point for discussion, the Party proposes distributing net shared national revenues, after deducting actual and publicly disclosed collection costs, as follows:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Level of government<\/th>\nProposed percentage<\/th>\nPrincipal responsibilities financed<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Federal government<\/td>\n45%<\/td>\nDefence, foreign affairs, federal judiciary, currency, public debt and national infrastructure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Regions collectively<\/td>\n55%<\/td>\nEducation, healthcare, regional development, internal roads, governorate services and agriculture, in accordance with the allocation of powers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The 45:55 ratio is not a final rule; rather, it is linked to the allocation of responsibilities under the constitutional system. If additional responsibilities are transferred to regions or governorates, the necessary resources must accompany them. No level of government may be required to provide public services without adequate funding.<\/p>\n

V. Distribution of the Regions\u2019 Share Among the Regions<\/h2>\n

The share allocated to the regions shall be distributed according to a uniform formula applied automatically and not subject to annual bargaining. The Party proposes the following initial weights:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Criterion<\/th>\nWeight<\/th>\nPurpose<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Population<\/td>\n30%<\/td>\nFinancing actual demand for services<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Poverty and development gap<\/td>\n25%<\/td>\nDirecting greater resources to the most deprived areas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weak own-source fiscal capacity<\/td>\n15%<\/td>\nEqualising the capacity to provide services<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Area and cost of service delivery<\/td>\n10%<\/td>\nTaking account of geographical distance and difficulty of access<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Equal basic share<\/td>\n10%<\/td>\nGuaranteeing a minimum allocation to each region<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Effects of war, displacement and disasters<\/td>\n5%<\/td>\nSupporting reconstruction and stability<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Efficiency, transparency and revenue effort<\/td>\n5%<\/td>\nEncouraging lawful collection and sound administration<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The formula shall be reviewed periodically. The efficiency criterion must not deprive citizens of services because of poor performance by their local government. Incentives shall be directed towards improving institutions, while minimum service provision remains a right of the citizen.<\/p>\n

VI. Revenues from Natural Resources<\/h2>\n

For the purposes of this document, natural resources include oil, gas, gold, minerals, quarries, forests, fisheries, water and any other resources specified by law. They shall remain the public property of the entire people, while producing areas shall be guaranteed particular fiscal and development rights.<\/p>\n

The Party proposes distributing every 100 units of net public revenue actually received from a resource, after deducting lawful and audited production and collection costs, according to the following model:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Allocation<\/th>\nOut of every 100 units<\/th>\nUse<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Producing region<\/td>\n20<\/td>\nPaid into its budget, with priority allocated to producing governorates and areas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Affected local communities<\/td>\n5<\/td>\nDirect financing of water, healthcare, education and local infrastructure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Environment and rehabilitation<\/td>\n5<\/td>\nPollution remediation, rehabilitation of production sites and environmental reserves<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shared National Revenue Account<\/td>\n70<\/td>\nDivided between the federal government and the regions under the general rules<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Simplified Numerical Example<\/h2>\n

If net public revenue from a mine or field amounts to 100 million monetary units, the producing region directly receives 20 million, affected communities receive 5 million, and 5 million is allocated to the environment and rehabilitation. The remaining 70 million enters the shared national account, from which 31.5 million goes to the federal government and 38.5 million to all regions under the distribution formula. The producing region also participates in the general share as one of the regions of the federation.<\/p>\n

Percentages shall be calculated on public revenue actually received by the treasury, not on the gross value of the mineral or oil extracted. Deductions for undocumented expenses or payments made outside the budget are prohibited. Production contracts, quantities, prices, royalties, taxes and transfers shall be published.<\/p>\n

VII. Rights of Communities and Producing Areas<\/h2>\n

1. The share allocated to local communities shall be earmarked for directly affected areas and shall not be absorbed into the general administrative expenditure of the region or governorate.<\/p>\n

2. Communities shall participate in setting project priorities and monitoring implementation through elected local councils and publicly disclosed mechanisms.<\/p>\n

3. No licence shall be granted for a project with a material environmental or social impact without an independent assessment, consultation with residents and disclosure of the licensing conditions.<\/p>\n

4. Those adversely affected shall be entitled to fair and prompt compensation. The development allocation shall not replace individual or collective compensation legally due.<\/p>\n

5. A special mechanism shall be established to protect the rights of traditional, pastoral and agricultural communities and historical rights of use in land and water.<\/p>\n

VIII. Equalisation and Reconstruction Fund<\/h2>\n

An independent national fund shall be established to achieve equalisation among regions and finance reconstruction. It shall target regions and governorates experiencing a substantial gap between their revenue-raising capacity and the cost of providing an acceptable level of public services. The fund shall not allocate money on the basis of political affiliation, but according to published data and criteria.<\/p>\n

During the post-war period, temporary exceptional transfers may be allocated to areas most severely affected by destruction and displacement, subject to a clear timetable and independent review to prevent exceptional measures from becoming permanent privileges.<\/p>\n

IX. Independent Revenue and Resources Commission<\/h2>\n

An independent constitutional commission named the \u201cRevenue, Resources and Fiscal Equalisation Commission\u201d shall be established, with responsibility for:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Calculating each level of government\u2019s share and applying the distribution formula among regions.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Verifying quantities of resources produced, revenues collected and costs deducted.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Proposing reviews of percentages and criteria following public consultation.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Monitoring transfers and ensuring that they arrive on time.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Publishing auditable monthly, quarterly and annual reports.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Making initial administrative determinations in fiscal disputes, without prejudice to the right of appeal to the Constitutional Court or other competent judiciary.<\/p>\n

The federal government, regions and governorates shall be represented on the Commission, alongside independent experts in economics, law, accounting and the environment. Appointments shall be subject to standards of competence, independence and disclosure of interests.<\/p>\n

X. Transparency, Audit and Prevention of Corruption<\/h2>\n

1. All public revenues shall be deposited in treasury accounts. Parallel accounts are prohibited, as is the retention of off-budget revenues by any military or security body or public company.<\/p>\n

2. Oil, mining and concession contracts, the names of beneficial owners of contracting companies, and government payments and transfers shall be published.<\/p>\n

3. The National Audit Office shall submit periodic reports to the Federal Legislature and the Council of Regions, and the reports shall be made public.<\/p>\n

4. Concealment of revenues, manipulation of quantities or prices, diversion of funds outside the budget, and awarding contracts on the basis of political or military loyalty shall constitute serious offences.<\/p>\n

5. Public companies shall be subject to the same accounting and oversight rules, and no company owned by the state or uniformed services shall enjoy an undisclosed exemption.<\/p>\n

XI. Borrowing and Fiscal Discipline<\/h2>\n

A region may borrow to finance productive capital projects within limits prescribed by law. Borrowing to cover chronic recurrent expenditure, or pledging natural resources without legislative oversight, shall not be permitted. External borrowing or the provision of a sovereign guarantee shall require coordination with the federal authority to protect fiscal stability, the currency and public debt.<\/p>\n

All levels of government shall maintain published budgets, final accounts, limits on debt and deficits, and rules preventing unsustainable obligations from being imposed on future generations.<\/p>\n

XII. Urgent Federal Programme for Establishing the Regions<\/h2>\n

As an exception to the ordinary rules allocating expenditure responsibilities, the federal government shall, during the establishment phase, finance an urgent programme to ensure that regions can be established and initially provide services. The programme shall be financed through separate federal appropriations. Its expenditure shall not be deducted from the regions\u2019 share of shared national revenues or from the entitlements of producing regions and communities.<\/p>\n

1. Constructing the regional schools specified in the Founding Document in each region and equipping them with essential facilities, in accordance with uniform standards reflecting population, need and educational disadvantage.<\/p>\n

2. Constructing and equipping regional hospitals to provide referral services, distributing them fairly and linking them to healthcare networks in the governorates.<\/p>\n

3. Financing the initial costs of regional administrative structures, including premises, equipment, financial and administrative systems, training and transitional requirements necessary to commence operations.<\/p>\n

The programme shall be implemented under a law, a published budget and a defined timetable, with regional governments participating in setting priorities and accepting completed works. Contracts and expenditure shall be subject to public audit and disclosure. The exceptional funding responsibility shall end upon completion of the establishment phase according to objective criteria prescribed by law, without becoming an instrument of federal control over the regions.<\/p>\n

XIII. Status of the Document and Proposed Transitional Measures<\/h2>\n

1. This document is presented as a proposed vision of the New Independence Party for discussion within the Party and with the public. It shall not become adopted Party policy unless approved by the Party\u2019s General Convention.<\/p>\n

2. Upon the establishment of a legitimate transitional authority, a comprehensive inventory of resources, contracts, public companies, revenues, debts and liabilities shall be undertaken within twelve months.<\/p>\n

3. Resource contracts shall be reviewed in accordance with the law and principles of justice and transparency, with respect for legitimate rights and no confiscation except pursuant to law and due process.<\/p>\n

4. The proposed percentages shall be introduced gradually if immediate implementation is impossible because of inadequate data or the collapse of revenue-collection institutions. The stages and dates of implementation shall be published.<\/p>\n

5. The percentages and formula shall be reviewed three years after initial implementation and every five years thereafter, without affecting regional rights except by law and with the participation of the Council of Regions.<\/p>\n

6. Following approval by the General Convention, this document shall serve as a reference for the Party\u2019s position in the constitutional process. Its provisions shall acquire general legal force only through the Constitution and laws adopted by legitimately elected institutions.<\/p>\n

XIV. Questions for Public Discussion<\/h2>\n

\u2022 Is a 55% allocation to the regions sufficient in light of the responsibilities they and the governorates will assume?<\/p>\n

\u2022 Does the direct 20% allocation to the producing region achieve justice without undermining national solidarity?<\/p>\n

\u2022 What geographical area constitutes a community affected by production, and who represents it in decision-making?<\/p>\n

\u2022 How should agricultural and pastoral areas, ports and water-resource areas that contribute to the economy without mineral resources be taken into account?<\/p>\n

\u2022 Should an independent fund for future generations be established alongside the environment and rehabilitation fund?<\/p>\n

\u2022 What safeguards can prevent the federal government or the government of a producing region from concealing or misusing revenues?<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

The New Independence Party believes that national unity cannot be built through fiscal centralisation or the monopolisation of resources by producing areas. Rather, it requires a just federal compact combining the rights of each area, the right of all citizens to the national wealth, and the capacity of the federal government to perform its sovereign functions. The Party submits this proposal for discussion and development, with a view to presenting it to the Party\u2019s General Convention for adoption or amendment and subsequently placing it within the national constitutional dialogue.<\/p>\n

Comparative References<\/h2>\n

1. Constitution of the United States of America, Article I, Section 8.<\/p>\n

2. India\u2019s Sixteenth Finance Commission, Report for 2026\u20132031, Chapters Seven and Eight.<\/p>\n

3. Constitution Act, 1867 (Canada), section 92A, and Constitution Act, 1982, section 36.<\/p>\n

4. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, section 162.<\/p>\n

5. Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, section 214.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"menu_order":8,"template":"","document_collection":[50],"class_list":["post-211","party_document","type-party_document","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmsdemo.com\/projects\/sudan-independent-party\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/party_document\/211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmsdemo.com\/projects\/sudan-independent-party\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/party_document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmsdemo.com\/projects\/sudan-independent-party\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/party_document"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rmsdemo.com\/projects\/sudan-independent-party\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/party_document\/211\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmsdemo.com\/projects\/sudan-independent-party\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"document_collection","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmsdemo.com\/projects\/sudan-independent-party\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document_collection?post=211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}