Gen. Ali launches Uganda’s ‘Green’ blueprint for middle income status

First Deputy Prime Minister General Moses Ali has launched the Green Growth Development Strategy (GGDS), a blue print for Uganda’s migration to middle status income.

The GGDS will focus on among other areas green growth jobs creation, social inclusivity and equity, and environmental sustainability in agricultural sector, planned urbanization and development of green cities, sustainable transport through the introduction of carbon free emission vehicles, public transport means in terms of electric trains and buses to reduce on carbon emissions, climate change adoption and natural resource management.

Addressing participants at the launch at the Imperial Royal Hotel, Gen Ali said high population pressure and high poverty levels in Uganda, which rose from 19 to 27 per cent in the last 10 years, had led to massive deforestation and swamp reclamation, leading to drought, diseases and chronic hungry among the young generation.

Further, Gen Ali said the environmental challenges will be addressed by lowering electricity costs, encouraging the use of gas for cooking and waiving of taxes on imported solar systems, in a bid to boost agriculture and create more employment opportunities.

“Transition to green growth requires high level political ownership and commitment from the top leadership levels of government to the lowest levels,” Gen. Ali said, adding that the approach requires upfront investment costs estimated at US$11 billion for the period of 12 years starting from 2017/18 to 2029/30.

In her presentation the UNDP Country Director Almaz Gebru pledged to help map Uganda’s wetlands “contained in the National Wetlands Atlas which provides recommendations on how we can protect wetlands from further degradation.”

“Let us to take a step back and  re-think our development plans and  calls us to adopt a win-win approach as we aim to reach economic development while protecting our natural ecosystem,” Ms Gebru Almaz said.

On his part, the minister for finance Matia Kasaija pledged to promote and implement the strategy, while the chairperson of the National Planning Authority (NPA) Dr. Kisamaba Mugerwa lauded UNDP Uganda for continuous funding of government projects, and called upon Ugandans to embrace the green growth values.