The Chairman National Planning Authority, Kisamba Mugerwa has said Uganda is to attain a lower rank of middle income status by 2020.
This was during the second National Development Plan 2015/16-201/20 that was chaired by the National Planning Authority Dr. Mugerwa himself on July 7, 2016. He was accompanied by the Authority’s Executive Director Joseph Muvawala at the authority’s head office.
According to the World Bank, middle income countries are nations with annual per capita gross of national income ranging between US$ 1025 and US$ 12615. Uganda’s per capita gross national income is between US$ 506 and US$ 770.
Dr. Mugerwa noted that in order for Uganda to attain Vision 2040, it has to follow the systematic process of growth of least developed countries which involves attaining a lower middle income status first. He said the authority was ready to steer the country to that by 2020.
He emphasized that this was to be done by starting with achieving of sustainable development goals which include; strengthening of the fundamental sectors that promote development like Agriculture, Oil and Gas, ICT and industrial development. He added that with the strengthening of the above sectors there would be increase in revenue and exports, creation of jobs and attraction of investors.
He added that first phase of National Development Plan saw poverty levels from 56 per cent to 39 per cent in 2009 with the help of President Yoweri Museveni’s poverty eradication programs such as Operation Wealth Creation, health, water and education.
“Harmonization of National Planning with the NRM manifesto, and the fact that the authority’s planning and budgeting was also aligned with the national budget by parliament was a step taken by the authority to pave way for the vision of attaining a lower middle income status by 2020” Dr. Mugerwa said.
He stressed “The Presidents call for zero tolerance of corruption that has been a big problem hindering the implementation of different government programs, delay of decision making by the different committees in parliament demoralize investors hence leaving for other countries”
However, Mugerwa said that in order for this middle income status to be achieved, each ministry, department and agency should have strategic plans and in this respect NPA has produced sector development planning guidelines.
