By Jumah Kakomo
The Opposition Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) Party is urging Ugandans to stand up for the defence of key parastatals, which have been dismantled or threatened with merger into th3le line ministries.
This call to action is rooted in the party’s concern over the country’s economic direction amidst ongoing government’s move to merge its agencies/authorities to their parental ministries including, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) which has put the country on tension.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday at Kampala, UPC spokesperson Arach Oyat Sharon said UPC believes that these parastatals such as the Uganda Cotton Development Authority Organisations, Dairy Development Authority, UCDA among others are crucial to Uganda’s economic development. However, the National Resistance Army/movement’s policies have led to setbacks, including the decline of the Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) and the sale of its industries.
According to Sharon, 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 the 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 reality. However, such an economic model that was prophesied was throw-out of the window.
Additionally, Sharon disclosed that marketing boards, which were at the centre of processing and marketing the 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 a threat now.
“The general public should know that it was Dr. Apolo Milton Obote and UPC II Government 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”, Sharon said.
The party head of media and communications Faizo Muzeyi says that 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,” Faizo stated.
Now Arach revealed that UPC makes a serious observation that the 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,” Sharon Added.
