Energy Justice and Social Justice: Rethinking Electricity Subsidy Policy in Sudan

Ensuring an adequate power supply remains a challenge to developing countries, especially non-oil exporting countries. Sudan is located in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region where average access to electricity and power consumption per capita are the lowest in the world, and this case of energy injustice endangers development. Electricity policy in Sudan is characterized by massive subsidies, which perpetuates energy injustice. To reduce public expenditure, the Sudanese government restructured electricity subsidies, but questions related to the impact of this reform on subsidy distribution, low-income families, and social justice remain. This paper studies the impact of residential electricity subsidy policies on subsidy distribution among different socio-economic groups and argues that decision-makers need to restructure electricity subsidies to be more efficient and progressive in order to go beyond electricity justice and accomplish wider social justice.

Download Article Download Issue Subscribe for a year

Abstract

Zoom

Ensuring an adequate power supply remains a challenge to developing countries, especially non-oil exporting countries. Sudan is located in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region where average access to electricity and power consumption per capita are the lowest in the world, and this case of energy injustice endangers development. Electricity policy in Sudan is characterized by massive subsidies, which perpetuates energy injustice. To reduce public expenditure, the Sudanese government restructured electricity subsidies, but questions related to the impact of this reform on subsidy distribution, low-income families, and social justice remain. This paper studies the impact of residential electricity subsidy policies on subsidy distribution among different socio-economic groups and argues that decision-makers need to restructure electricity subsidies to be more efficient and progressive in order to go beyond electricity justice and accomplish wider social justice.

References