Sudan on Thursday approved a law imposing fees on the south's use of its oil infrastructure, in an effort to offset the loss of oil revenues following southern secession on July 9, the finance minister said.
"We are imposing these fees to get back what we lost from oil revenues, and we will reach the figure with the south through negotiations," Ali Mahmud told reporters shortly after the law was passed by parliament alongside a new, post-secession budget.
"They have no way to export their oil, except through the north," he added.
On Wednesday, Mahmud said he expected Khartoum to receive around $2.6 billion from the oil-producing south in annual transit fees.
But negotiations on this, and other key outstanding issues that north and south have failed to resolve such as debt and borders, have yet to resume since they were suspended at the beginning of the month.
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir said on Tuesday that his government accepted the proposal of renting the north's oil infrastructure, but he hinted that Khartoum would have to make an acceptable offer or they would pursue other export options.