Political

Uganda Must Stand up for the Defence of key Parastatal Bodies UPC Fumes Back at government

Ssemaganda Moses Hope
By Ssemaganda Moses Hope


Uganda Must Stand up for the Defence of key Parastatal Bodies UPC Fumes Back at government
Uganda Must Stand up for the Defence of key Parastatal Bodies UPC Fumes Back at government

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Ever since Uganda started to shift to the dynamics of liberalization of the economy, things have not moved on smoothly in the country. It should be recalled that the coming in to power of the National Resistance Army/Movement (NRA/M) led Government in 1986, guided by the famous 10-point programme especially No. 5, “Building an Independent, integrated self-sustaining national economy”, which is now contrary to the reality.However, such an economic model which was prophesied was throw-out of the window.

 

The worst to be hit were marketing boards which were at the center of processing and marketing our agricultural produce;Lint Marketing Board (LMB) established under ordinance No. 16 of 1949 replaced by Cotton Development Organisation (CDO) Coffee Marketing Board (CMB) established under the Coffee Act of 1963 was replaced by Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) which is also under threat now.Produce Marketing Board (PMB) established under Produce Marketing Board Act of 1968 was extremely unlucky as there was no replacement by the Central Government.  Big companies like Aponye, Joseph’s Initiative, Atrokoi, United Nations World Food Programme (UN - WFP) took the center stage and dominated the Produce Market. The main PMB offices in Nalukolongo are occupied by World Food Programme. This has greatly affected our economy.The general public should know that it was Dr. Apolo Milton Obote and UPC II Government that cautiously first opened up the economy in 1980 – 1985 and any investor was free to join and do business alongside the public corporations/parastatals thus the mixed economic model. UPC is very much concerned with the economic direction Uganda is taking.

 


The Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) that was established by the British Colonial Government in 1952 and expanded by post-independence governments to speed up industrialization in Uganda got a total set back with the NRA/M government and sold off its industries it owned. The new UDC that has been re-established is totally limping with limited assets. Commissioning of Owen Falls Dam in Jinja 1954 attracted industries in Jinja and evolved as the industrial City of Uganda.

 

Now Jinja is under retreat as the current leadership prefers more of Kampala to be the centre of industrial activities with emerging industrial parks that are found elsewhere with limited benefits to economies of scale.UPC makes a serious observation that our durable parastatals have been dismantled through such type of debate like one involving the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) as well as Uganda Cotton Development Organisation and Dairy Development Authority back to the line Ministry of Agriculture as mere departments.This type of situation forces us to revisit the wisdom of our founding father H. E. Dr. Apolo Milton Obote who made it clear while addressing the National Assembly on 20th April 1970; “it is Government decision and policy that any weaknesses in any of the Parastatal Bodies will not be tolerated and that everything will be done on behalf of the people to prevent any of these Parastatal Bodies from being led by the Knife – Waving cut throats to any slaughter – house.

 


The whole of Uganda must stand up for the defence of each and every Parastatal Body and prevent anyone of them being slaughtered by the greatest enemies of the public, who will in turn hold the public at ransom and dictate any price for the goods they may decide to make available into the Uganda market”.Uganda as a country, we need to reflect very heavily on that type of wisdom and jealously protect our key parastatals like Uganda Coffee Development Authority which in anyway is a gateway to our economic development. This can be achieved through embracing a mixed economic model that gives public parastatals more freedom to perform and exist without threats of being dismantled.


This desirable economic model is well captured in article 2.5 of the Party Constitution, “to plan Uganda’s economic development in such a way that the public sector, private sector, workers, peasants and farmers, through the cooperative movement, commerce and industry will effectively contribute to increased production and wealth thus raising people’s welfare and the standard of living in the country”.

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