President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has emphasised that peace and security are very crucial for any business to thrive.
“You know that for business to succeed, you must address a number of strategic issues which affect the whole situation from A to Z. In Uganda and in the North in particular, one of them was security. You couldn’t do anything if you don’t have peace.Some groups were disturbing the peace in the West Nile, Acholi and in the Northeast but fortunately all these issues have been handled,” he said.
The President made the remarks today during the 5th Bi-Annual Private sector CEO Retreat held at Serena Hotel, Kampala.
The 2-day retreat ran under the theme: “Battle to Greenfield: Transforming Northern Uganda into a commercial production and logistical hub for exports”.
The retreat featured exhibitions by farmers and other players in Northern Uganda’s agricultural value chain. Participants delved into topics covering commercial agriculture, agro industrialization, cross-border trade, value-addition, transport and logistics, among other business ideas.
- Advertisement -
The President also highlighted strategies that are being used by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government to further steer the economic development of the country such as the full monetization of the economy.
“When you have people staying outside the money economy they sabotage the country in two ways, they don’t buy so we who produce don’t have enough buyers. So this issue of everybody getting involved in the money economy is a strategic one, not only to get rid of poverty but also to produce more material and also to increase the purchasing power of the population,” he observed.
On the side of infrastructure like electricity, the President was glad to note that the country is doing well in that sector because more dams will be built to provide the target of 52,000 megawatts.
“Our Target is to give manufacturers a price of five American cents per kilowatts,” he said.
He also emphasised that Northern Uganda has a good road network to promote movement of commodities, thus calling upon the districts to properly utilise the increased funds for road maintenance.
The President informed the participants that the two debts that are now left for the government to fulfil are that of the railway line to lower costs of transport and irrigation to increase agricultural productivity.
“The use of vehicles for cargo is not efficient; the only way is the railway to lower the cost of transport,” he stressed.
President Museveni further revealed that the real problem in Northern Uganda is political leadership, saying that some leaders in the area are selfish and enemies of their own people who don’t care about development in the region.
The President also thanked the former Leader of Opposition, Prof. Ogenga Latigo for being an exceptional politician who works for the development of his area. He instructed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and Secretary to the Treasury, Mr. Ramathan Ggoobi to consult with Prof. Latigo and utilise his expertise for guidance.
Responding to other issues raised by participants of the retreat like the mechanisation of agriculture, the President proposed that the Ministry of Agriculture should revive mechanical centres around the country.
- Advertisement -
