President Yoweri Museveni has urged National Resistance Movement (NRM) MPs-Elect to support the government in boosting industries for growth of the country’s economy.
Museveni said during NRM MPs-Elect’s retreat at National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi District. According to Museveni, industrialisation is a very fundamental sector in fostering social economic Transformation and better lives of every Ugandan.
“I therefore request you while in Parliament to support me in attracting investment for industries especially for those dealing in final products that can be consumed locally or be exported to other countries,” Museveni requested MPs.
This according to Museveni will help to improve balance of trade with other countries as well as create more employment opportunities for the youths.
Museveni also hinted on efforts by the government to get rid of subsistence agriculture where homesteads only grow for the stomach instead of money as his biggest problem so far. Once subsistence is dealt with, President Museveni believes that lives of ordinary Ugandans will improve.
In the 2021/26 manifesto, President Museveni and his new government have promised to focus on four big sectors which include services, Commercial agriculture, industrialisation and Information Communication Technology (ICT).
Museveni says that mentioned sectors are interconnected and should not be fragmented. He implored MPs to plan and implement them to attain social Economic Transformation.
“I am convinced that unlike other countries that are constrained to engage in some sectors like agriculture, Uganda has all favourable conditions to engage in the four sectors,” Museveni said.
Last week, President Museveni told MPs that the government has so far established more than 20 industrial parks in various parts of the country and thousands of industries are already manufacturing several products.
According to an economic Expert from Makerere University, Dr. Ramadhan Ggoobi, the government should interest itself in protecting local industries by reducing taxes on ICT infrastructure since this seems a new normal especially after the covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Josephine Nabukenya, an ICT expert while delivering a paper to the MPs said that ICT is the answer to most of the problems in Uganda citing how it is serving the world amidst the pandemic.
“ICT is the brain of development that can stimulate the economy because it helps to link the rest of the sectors,” Dr. Nabukenya emphasized.
Notwithstanding the recent achievements, there are challenges that continue to affect the adoption of ICTs and industrialisation both at individual and government level, that may impede the industrial Vision of Uganda. These include; high electricity expenses, low internet penetration for innovation, corruption and bureaucratic tendencies among others.
