POST 2016 GOALS FOR UGANDA

Promoting Investment

We see ‘modern dynamic industry’ as the core of a competitive economy.  We therefore intend to strengthen entrepreneurialism and improve innovation and investment conditions.

Foreign Policy

We hope to face up to ‘International challenges’ - Peace Keeping, respect of Human Rights, Support for development and Climate Protection.  Work to promote the East African Community Initiatives as a group, Support the International Criminal Court (ICC), work to see to the promotion of a meaningful and developmental African Union Initiatives, getting the various local fora to discuss democratically initiatives that the country may subscribe to, as well as have interventions in other countries (like we are in South Sudan) after the endorsement by Parliament.

Innovation

We shall borrow innovative ideas that have worked elsewhere (though with some modifications to suit our conditions) to boost development initiatives locally.

Appraisal of Government Liabilities

We shall undertake to appraise all on – going Government liabilities and establish strategies to manage them sustainably.

Campaign to Subscribe to Uganda Development Corporation

A big campaign shall be undertaken after having a law in place to have as many Ugandans as possible subscribe to the capital of Uganda Development Corporation (UDC), which should be the engine for local investment drive hence economic development.

All active population involved in income generation & Social Security

Strategies to be put in place at community level to see that all able bodied people in Uganda are involved in income generation of some sort and all these to be under some social security arrangement.

See Federal a reality

We see different levels of growth in the country because many areas have had a raw deal as regards share of the national cake.  A federal arrangement with some finance powers can help adjust the anomaly.

Promotion of Accountability & Strengthening Procurement Systems

We shall ensure that workable measures are put in to see that before Government is committed to any expenditures and or taking on contractors, value for money is established by getting various Government offices involved ( the Auditor General, the Solicitor General, The Public Procurement & Disposal of Public Assets Authority, the Inspector General of Government, the Auditor General among others).  This should eliminate the contracting of works and audits done after money was dispersed finding that rules or procedures were not followed.  It will also eliminate the loss of tax payer funds as is the case today when audits are done long after the transactions took place.  The Auditor General’s office should then just coming to establish than the instructions and recommendations for the various undertakings were followed as per the specifications.  However, this will call for appropriate motivation of staff in the concerned offices as many are active players in the corruption tendencies by virtue of offices and authority they hold, and in these transactions, International Standards on Auditing (ISA) to be observed.

Support to the Tourism Sector

We shall endeavour to get guidance from the players in the Tourism Sector on what has to be done to boost the sector to be a major earner for Uganda, and funds shall be identified to see the objective realized.

Limit Presidential Pledges

According to a report by the Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurances which was leaked to the Daily Monitor, the President has not delivered on 817 pledges, since he captured power in 1986.  “The pledges  totaling 817, are estimated to cost the Uganda taxpayer more than Shs12.9 trillion in key areas of Infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, schools, airport, bridges, electricity and machinery,” said Mr. Odonga Otto, the Chairperson of Parliament’s Government Assurance Committee.

This situation is simply unbelievable.  If we get to power, we shall ensure that Presidential pledges are phased out, and donations made when cash is available and limits must be clearly defined.  And, majority of pledges unpaid to be written off as many must have been for political gain to ensure regime longevity, yet those that can be incorporated in genuinely fundable projects by Government shall be considered that way as it should be the right way to handle projects.

Have UPDF much more into direct production

The tax payer in Uganda is spending colossal sums on maintaining Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF).  We see that the outlook of UPDF should change so that instead of being involved in other people’s conflicts, it gets more involved in direct production in Uganda.

Positive effort to boost Uganda’s Competitiveness

Prof. Mahmood Mamdani, a globally-acclaimed academic, once said the reason why countries like Uganda seem to be trapped in the cycle of economic underdevelopment is because of the weak political class whose major worry is how to retain power, not how to move the country economically forward.  A visit to the so many supermarkets in Uganda—and a close sample analysis of the products on market shows that there are few Ugandan products to carry home. So, whose products are Ugandans purchasing? Who sowed this mentality in the minds of Ugandans that good things come from abroad?

Efforts are to be made to implement proposals that can see a boost to Uganda’s position in Global Competitive Index (GCI), Uganda’s overall performance declined by two places from 121 (out of 142 economies) in 2011/12 to 123 (out of 144 economies) in 2012/13.  One reason for the negative competitiveness in Uganda is corruption.  Efforts shall be made to see at minimal with serious penalties to the corrupt as one way to boost the country’s competitiveness.