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KCCA receives Shs4.3b grant towards the renovation of Old Taxi Park

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Old Tax park

Kampala Capital City Authority has received Shs3 billion grant from the government of Netherlands for redeveloping of Old Taxi Park.

The proposed redevelopment of the Old Taxi Park is linked to the just completed Urban Transport Master Plan where KCCA plans to provide residents of Kampala with fast and reliable public transport services by 2040.

Over 200,000 people commute daily through the Old Taxi Park to connect to different destinations within the greater Kampala metropolitan area and beyond.

According to Executive Director of KCCA, Jennifer Musisi, the remodeling of the taxi park is one of KCCA’s interventions aimed at improving the operations and passenger experience at bus and taxi parks.

“The renovated Taxi Park will increase the economic potential of more than 25,000 people who work in this area. This will benefit passengers, taxi drivers, conductors, food vendors and small business owners.” She said.

She said the benefits of a remodeled taxi park are that, residents of Kampala will enjoy a better travel experience. According to the plan, the park will have amenities such as clean public toilets, shopping areas and green space rest areas.

The infrastructure within the park will be improved land use with transit terminals; a mixture of commercial spaces, multi-level car parking facilities, vehicles leaving to a given destination will be found in the same place within the taxi park, passenger information will be clearly displayed to guide users, passenger safety will be enhanced with raised walkways for pedestrians and well-lit spaces.

 

 

 

 

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FUFA slash ticket prices for Afcon qualifier against Tanzania

By
Our Reporter
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Uganda Cranes fans

Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) has released the ticket prices for the Uganda Cranes match against Tanzania Taifa Stars in the second game of AFCON 2019 group L qualifiers.

The ordinary tickets will now go for Shs15, 000 from Shs 25,000 while the VIP will go for Shs 40,000 from Shs 50,000 and the VVIP ticket remains at Shs50, 000.

In the weekly press conference at Mengo, Decolas Kiiza, the FUFA Finance director thanked the government of Uganda and the president for considering the budgetary allocation of the national team, in particular to run the 2019 AFCON qualification process.

“As the federation, we would like to extend our gratitude to the government of Uganda led by the President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. We also thank the Minister of Education and Sports Janet Kataha Museveni, the State Minister of sports Hon Charles Bakabulindi, the department of physical education under Commissioner Omara Apitta, officials from the National Council of Sports and some Members of Parliament who worked tooth and nail to have this budgetary allocation.” He said

Uganda Cranes lead group L with three points following the 1-0 away win registered over Cape Verde Islands. Geoffrey Sserunkuuma scored the goal.

Tanzania and Lesotho both share a point having played to a one all draw in their opening group game.

Cranes will continue its regional tours this weekend with a match against the Eastern region select team in Bugiri.

The team commenced training at Star Times Stadium, Lugogo on Monday and will train until Thursday before departing on Friday for Bugiri.

Two weeks ago, the Uganda Cranes team played a tour match with Kitara region select in Kasese. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.

Uganda Cranes will host neighbours Tanzania on Saturday, September 8,2018, at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole. Lesotho hosts Cape Verde in the other group game on September 6.

The 2019 AFCON tournament will be hosted in Cameroon. The competition will be held in June and July 2019 to move it from January/February for the first time. It will also be the first Africa Cup of Nations expanded from 16 to 24 teams.

 

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KCCA bans smoking in Kampala

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Kampala Capital City Authority has prohibited smoking in public, work places and near any means of public transport saying the initiative is aimed at reducing on the number of premature deaths, infertility rates, lung cancer and others.

Speaking at the launch, Kampala Central Municipality Mayor Charles Sserunjogi revealed that KCCA is implementing Tobacco Act of 2015 that bans smoking in public places and advocating for every person’s right to a Tobacco Free environment.

With the majority of the country’s population living in urban settings, he said, cities are uniquely positioned to transform the fight against diseases and injuries by implementing policies to significantly reduce exposure to risk factors.

Alluding to Tobacco Act, Sserunjogi said Uganda has about two million active smokers.

“Smoking is strictly forbidden in, or within 50 meters of any public place, workplace, or near any means of public transport, there will be no more designated Smoking Areas or zones in Kampala,”

He said KCCA is committed to sensitizing the public about the dangers of smoking and its impact on people’s health and create more awareness about the Tobacco Act 2015. “We call upon the general public to report all cases of tobacco use in public places on our toll free number 0800990000,”

“Health is at the forefront of what KCCA does and carrying out such initiatives highlights some of the strategies that the Authority works on in order to transform Kampala into a better city,” Sserunjogi said.

 

 

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Defunct Crane Bank beats DFCU Bank on list of top taxpayers in 2017

By
George Mangula
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Crane Chambers, formerly headquarters of Crane Bank.

New figures by the Uganda Revenue Authority show that Crane Bank paid more taxes than DFCU Bank in 2017 despite the fact that the latter took over the former in January of that year as over 270 top companies paid over Shs4.2 trillion.

According to the list of the 274 top taxpayers in Uganda in 2017, Crane Bank paid taxes worth over Shs33.5 billion while DFCU Bank paid taxes over Shs26.2 billion, putting Crane Bank in position 24 while the latter was 27th as MTN Uganda came top with Shs431 billion paid in taxes to government.

The two banks however were beaten by the largest bank in the country, Stanbic Bank which was 13th, having paid just over Shs79.1 billion in taxes during that year.

It should be remembered that in January 2017, the Bank of Uganda (BOU) announced it had sold Crane Bank to DFCU Bank in a controversial deal worth Shs200 billion after taking over management of Crane Bank in October 2016.

Kampala businessman and majority shareholder in Crane Bank Sudhir Ruparelia would later sue BOU and DFCU Bank for illegally taking over his bank. Specifically, Sudhir said BoU took over his Bank, branches and properties, which it handed over to DFCU bank without proper transfers. But BOU through DFCU, has also sued Sudhir and his Meera Investments, accusing him of fraud that reportedly caused Crane Bank a loss of Shs400bn. The case is pending in court.

BOU and DFCU also claimed that a lot of the assets of Crane Bank were bad loans, worth Shs550 billion. They claimed that DFCU inherited Shs800 billion worth of good loans from Crane Bank. But DFCU had invested nothing to get the loans worth 800 billion.

Meanwhile, the central bank claimed then that Crane Bank had non-performing loans (bad loans) worth Shs550 billion and as such claimed they were written off to zero and Sudhir has been asked to pay for all of them. But most of all the so called “bad loans” had collateral, in most cases the best pieces of real estate in Uganda.

However, DFCU Bank would in mid-August 2017 raise eyebrows in the public as it announced half year net profit of Shs114 billion, up from Shs23.3bn in June 2016.Interesting management would attribute the huge jump in net profit to the acquisition of Crane.

More than a year after taking over Crane Bank, DFCU reported a huge profit of Shs127.6 billion in the year that ended on December 31, 2017 compared to Shs46 billion earned in the same period in 2016.

Click on the link to view list The list showing the top 280 tax payers as of last year 2017(1)

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Sadolin Paint tops competitors as it appears on list of top 274 taxpayers in Uganda

By
George Mangula
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Crown Paints CEO Rakesh Rao, AkzoNobel MD for sub-Saharan Africa Johann Smidt and commercial executive Deon Nieuwoudt at the re-launch of Sadolin Paints in September last year.

Sadolin Paints (U) Limited beat other paint manufacturers in Uganda as it was ranked 26th on the list of 274 top taxpayers at the end of the year 2017, having paid taxes worth about Shs26.3 billion.

Sadolin Paints’ 26th position among the top taxpayers meant it was the number one taxpayers in the local paint industry and is a result of the company’s dominance of the market share over the past decades.

A source from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) said Sadolin Paints keeps on earning more revenue because of its quality products that attract customers. “Any business that offers best quality and service will always attract customers and I think that is why Sadolin are doing well in terms of revenue earnings year in year out,” he said.

The official who preferred to remain anonymous said that when companies like Sadolin pay their share of taxes, it helps government deliver services to the population as well as embarking on infrastructure projects like roads and building of schools.

At the relaunch of the company last year Johann Smidt, the director AkzoNobel decorative paints in sub-Saharan Africa, said: “We are delighted to relaunch Uganda’s number one paint brand and once again assure our customers that the brand they love is here to stay. He said the company would continue to offer global standard quality paint that the Ugandan people can enjoy.

The Sadolin brand is owned by the global giant-AkzoNobel. Sadolin was founded by Gunnar Sadolin in 1907 and entered Uganda in 1963 but has been owned by AkzoNobel since 1987.

Sadolin Paints re-launched in September 2017 on the Ugandan market and announced Crown Group, manufacturers of Regal Paints, as their new local partners.

The Sadolin brand has been a household name for many years in Uganda delivering products tagged professionalism, quality and global best practices that the brand enforces.

Sadolin is investing in an advanced manufacturing plant in Namanve Industrial Park worth Shs 10.8 billion to increase production.
Despite paying taxes, Sadolin Paints runs as corporate social responsibility programme where it contributes to community projects and initiatives.

Of recent, Sadolin has contributed about 810 litres of paint to refurbish the Archbishop’s Palace at Namirembe. It has also done the same for Buganda Kingdom’s Masengere Building.

Sadolin has since partnered with a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to refurbish schools and health centers in several parts of Uganda.

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Ugandan Pastors, Imams accused of human trafficking as 12000 children engage in prostitution

By
George Mangula
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A United Nations (UN) report on human trafficking indicates that Ugandan religious leaders-pastors and imams are involved in trafficking young women to the middle East to work as domestic workers without the knowledge of government.

“Reportedly, pastors, imams, and local leaders at churches and mosques have also assisted in the recruitment of domestic workers abroad, mostly for Middle Eastern countries; these leaders encourage female domestic workers to take these jobs and in turn receive a fee per worker from recruiters,” the report released recently says.

The report says some the have traffickers threatened to harm the victims’ family or confiscated travel documents of victims. The report was released recently as world marked World Day against Trafficking in Persons

According to the report, traffickers exploit girls and boys in prostitution. Recruiters target girls and women aged 13-24 years for domestic sex trafficking, especially near sports tournaments and road construction projects. An international organization estimates there are between 7,000 to 12,000 children involved in prostitution in Uganda.

As reported, over the past five years, Uganda is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Ugandan children as young as seven are exploited in forced labor in agriculture, fishing, forestry, cattle herding, mining, stone quarrying, brick making, carpentry, steel manufacturing, street vending, bars, restaurants, and domestic service.

The report quotes an international organization which reported that most internal trafficking victims are Ugandans, the majority of which are exploited in forced begging. Young boys and girls were the most vulnerable to internal trafficking, mainly for labor or begging in Kampala and other urban areas.

The report also says the authorities subjected some prisoners in pre-trial detention to forced labor. Traffickers subject some children from the DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Sudan to forced agricultural labor and exploited in prostitution in Uganda.

“South Sudanese children in refugee settlements in northern Uganda are vulnerable to trafficking. In 2017, individuals from Rwanda and Somalia, including a Somali refugee from Nakivale Refugee Settlement, were victims of internal trafficking. Some Ugandans abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) prior to 2006 remain unaccounted for, and may remain captive with LRA elements in the DRC, the Central African Republic, and the disputed area of Kafia Kingi, which both Sudan and South Sudan claim,” the report says.

Traffickers have exploited trafficking victims from the DRC and Rwanda in sex trafficking in Uganda. In 2017, there were allegations that officials from the office of the prime minister were complicit in several illegal activities related to the refugee settlements, including corruption, sexual exploitation and abuse, and facilitating the movement of vulnerable populations from settlements in Uganda to South Sudan.

Meanwhile the report says the government suspended four high-level officials in the office of the prime minister based on allegations of their involvement in illegal activities in the refugee settlements. “The government is investigating the allegations. There were also several media reports of alleged complicity of police officers in child sex trafficking of refugees and coercion of refugee women to perform sexual acts in exchange for various forms of migration documentation,” it says.

In 2016, Ugandan victims were identified in neighboring countries, including Kenya, South Sudan, and the DRC. Young women remained the most vulnerable to transnational trafficking, usually seeking employment as domestic workers in the Middle East; at times Ugandan women were fraudulently recruited for employment and then exploited in forced prostitution.

Ugandan migrant workers are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, and China. Despite the government’s partial lifting of the ban on Ugandans’ travel abroad for domestic work to Saudi Arabia and Jordan, some licensed and unlicensed agencies circumvented safeguard mechanisms established by the government by sending Ugandans through Kenya and Tanzania.

An international organization reported identification of 14 victims in Malaysia and Thailand and additional victims in Poland, Switzerland, and Ukraine. Official complicity may have hindered government oversight of labor recruitment agencies.

Uganda’s Coordination Office to Combat Trafficking in Persons (COCTIP) reported that traffickers appear to be increasingly organized and some may have formed regional trafficking networks. NGOs reported that traffickers are frequently relatives or friends of victims, or may pose as wealthy women or labor recruiters promising vulnerable Ugandans well-paid jobs abroad or in Uganda’s metropolitan areas.

15,000 girls engaged in prostitution in Kenya

About 15,000 girls aged between 12 and 18 years, and who live at the Indian coast towns of Mombasa, Diani, Kilifi and Mombasa, are engaged in prostitution, says the report.

The new report on human trafficking, based on research findings concluded last May.

The report indicates that many of the children are smuggled into the towns from within coast area and outside of the region to be exploited within the tourism industry.

It also shows that boys, bar staff and waiters are increasingly being roped into this tourism-fed prostitution, especially during the tourist peak season. The research titled: ‘Assessment Report on Human Trafficking Situation in the Coastal Region of Kenya’ also says that child sexual exploitation thrives because of the complicity of a broad section of the local community that promotes transactional sex, partly due to high poverty rates.

The report shows that Mombasa is a leading transit route for people smuggled from Ethiopia and Horn of Africa nations to Tanzania and other Southern African nations. Although the main focus of the investigation was documentation of Kenyan victims of trafficking abroad, the report notes that trafficking also took place at the Coast, with the victims coming from the hinterland.

The report says that sexual exploitation of men and women in unregulated cottages is a by-product of this migration. “Girls in the coastal areas of Kenya are often recruited for jobs in the (Persian) Gulf through hair salons and restaurants, but are subsequently exploited on arrival,” says the report.

Meanwhile Kenyan women are subjected to forced prostitution in Thailand by Ugandan and Nigerian traffickers, according to the latest United Nations (UN) Report on human trafficking.

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UNBS top official decries shortage of manpower in new report

By
George Mangula
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UNBS ED Dr. Ben Manyindo

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) faces the challenge of understaffing despite being given the huge mandate of developing, promoting and enforcing standards and quality of products and services to facilitate fair trade, promote local industries and protect consumers, its executive director, Ben Manyindo has said.

“At the close of the year, the staff levels were 290 of which 26% are women. This however represents 45% of the required 640 staff and forms the number one challenge for scaling up service delivery to Ugandans,” Manyindo told journalists in Kampala on Tuesday while highlighting the agency’s performance in the financial year 2017/18 that ended on July 1.

Dr. Manyindo appreciated his staff and colleagues who he said had worked hard to produce good results. He lauded UNBS’ partners and stakeholders including the media for supporting the agency in posting positive results.

He said his agency was engaging government for more funding and increasing the manpower which is to scale up standards uptake and enforcement in the country.

UNBS decentralised its services of certification and market surveillance to regional offices in Gulu, Mbale and Mbarara effective July 2018.

“This will further promote production of good quality products by Micro Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) at regional level thereby contributing to the government’s effort of promoting industrialization of our economy while we continue to protect consumers and the environment from dangerous substandard products,” Manyindo said.

Prevalence of substandard products on the market

Dr Manyindo in his report said UNBS still grapples with the high level of substandard goods on the market. This, he said led the agency to commission a study in 2017 to assess the extent and prevalence of substandard products on the market.

He said the study established a cross section of substandard products on the Uganda market- both imported and domestically manufactured. “On average, 54% of the sampled products failed tests for compliance to Uganda Standards,” he said.

While we note that the proportion of substandard products on the market is quite significant, it has reduced from 73% reported in a baseline study done in 2013, he said.

“Although the actual prevalence is at 54%, the perception level has remained high at 80%. This is an area that requires a concerted effort in being addressed,” he said.

The lower prices charged for the substandard products is the main reason some people knowingly buy such products considering that prices of some genuine products are prohibitively high, the official said, adding that UNBS “shall invest in a mass sensitisation campaigns to empower with knowledge to identify substandard product and subsequently shun them.”

Market Surveillance:

Dr Manyindo’s report shows that 2,278 outlets were inspected against the set target of 2,000 during the financial year just ended.

“The UNBS market surveillance team seized 413 metric tonnes of goods worth Shs3.5 billion. The seized goods would have otherwise been detrimental to the health and safety of consumers,” the report reads in part.

The goods seized included electronics, cosmetics, steel products, iron sheets, food stuffs, toilet papers, agro-inputs, cooking oil, second hand tyres, beers, paints, and cereals, among others.

According to the executive director’s report, 15 cases were taken to court and UNBS secured conviction of 7 cases while 8 are on-going.

Imports Inspection

Under Imports Inspection function, Manyindo said 133,517 consignments were inspected against planned inspection of 120,000. The increase, he said, was largely due to increased compliance to the PVOC program that requires imports to be inspected from their countries of export before entering Uganda.

“This translates to 8.6 billion products that were inspected out of which 33 million products failed. As a result of UNBS intervention under the PVoC program, we were able to stop 33 million substandard products from being imported into the country,” he said.

Standards development

During the period, among standards developed included those for maize grain, maize flour, wheat flour, milled rice and dry beans were developed which are important staple foods in the country and contribute to food security, value addition and income generation for small holder farmers. Standards for fertilizers have also been developed to contribute to increasing agricultural production in the country.

UNBS also reports that a standard for green coffee beans was also developed which directly contributes to the achievement of the target by Government to produce 20 million 60Kg bags of coffee by 2020.

Standards for farm tools and implements such as spades, hoes and machetes have been developed to curb the rampant sub-standard tools in the market. A new standard for testing the roadworthiness of used imported vehicles will ensure that the safety of motorists is guaranteed.

Standards for building materials such as cement and building lime have also been reviewed to support the infrastructure projects being undertaken by the Government, Manyindo said.

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Kabaka Mutebi preaches against corruption

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Kabaka Mutebi

Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II has implored parents and leaders at various levels to preach against greed saying it has led to gripping corruption in the country.

Speaking at the 25th coronation ceremony Kabaka said, greed breeds to corruption a vice that has failed County’s earnings, education, health services and self-development. He called for reactive measures to curtail greed, “our country will be destroyed if we don’t act,”

“Stick to our culture, corruption has led to insecurity, murder among other criminal activities. Discipline-wise, in early years, children were cautioned to embrace good social manners and against illicit activities,” he said.

Muwenda Mutebi ascended his forefathers’ throne at Naggalabi-Buddo in 1993 following various engagements with president Museveni initiated by Prof John Kitende for Kabaka’s return from exile where he spent over 20 years.

Mr. Mutebi called for restoration of cooperative unions for job creation and economic diversification and value addition. He said Ugandans owned cooperative firms which perished during civil unrests that were experienced in the recent years.

At the function, he lauded government and stakeholders for their engagement in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He cautioned his subjects to always test for catastrophic diseases for medication.

In his remarks the guest of honor Asantehene Osei Tutu II, the 16th traditional ruler of the Kingdom of Ashanti in Ghana called for togetherness noting that the chain that links Buganda and his kingdom situating back in early 1990s when his grandparents met with Kabaka Muteesa in exile.

“We don’t have enemies, we should work with each other, our enemy is poverty, and we should work towards economic achievement in of Africa and our countries,” he said at Mengo.

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NDA warns substance in Chinese drug could cause cancer in patients

By
George Mangula
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National Drugs Authority Logo

The National Drug Authority (NDA) has urged all health workers in Uganda of an impure ingredient-nitrosodimethyiamine (NDMA), which cause cancer in patients.

According to the NDA, the dangerous substance was discovered in valsartan API produced by Zhenjang Huahai Pharmaceuticals Linhai, China. Valsartan is used to treat high blood pressure and other illnesses.

The agency on July 27 warned the local health workers through a letter it distributed to them.

The agency now says it has recalled all medicines containing valsartan API supplied by the Chinese company and others. Some of the medicines recalled include; Valsar.Denk 80, Valsar.Denk 160, Valsar. Denk 320, Valsar 160,

NDA mentions Benie Consults Limited and Abacus Pharma Africa Limited as some the companies in Uganda distributing the above drugs.

The drug, according to NDA, has been recalled in the European Union and the United States.

As such, the agency has advised patients who were using the drug to look for alternatives as it continues with the surveillance on the local market.

“Please note that there is no immediate risk and patients using the above listed valsartan brands are advised to switch to alternative brands. NDA will continue to investigate presence of NDMA in all valsartan products on the market and will update this communication immediately,” NDA says.

Valsartan is used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. It belongs to a class of drugs called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), which help lowering high blood pressure, prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems.

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House Opposition leader calls for increased government investment in agriculture

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Winnie Kizza

The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Winfred Kiiza, has called for increased government investment in agriculture for transformation of the sector and Ugandan economy.

Kiiza was speaking during the ongoing Conference of US State Legislatures Kiiza said, government has always been committing less funds to agriculture. Despite surviving on agricultural sector, this financial year government allocated Shs89.2 billion and increment of Shs 2.7billion last from last year.

“Better funding to agriculture will spur improvements and growth in other sectors of the economy, which will in turn lead to less borrowing by government,” said Kiiza.

She called for value addition agricultural produce for exportation more so starting with east African community.

She said Uganda’s land ownership system and legislation guiding how government can acquire land from private individuals for investment, or public works, which according to the Constitution can only happen following compensation.

“Every individual is encouraged to have land in their name but there’s now a move by government to take over private land before compensation,” she said referring to the Land (Amendment) Bill before Parliament.

Hon. Okumu said Uganda has vast fertile land although much of it remains unutilised and that the country’s history involving conflicts led to challenges in the use of the land.

The delegation attending the Conference also includes: Hon. Kenneth Ongalo Obote, Hon. Herbert Kinobere, and the Mr. Pius Biribonwoha, the Director Department of Legal and Legislative Services.

Kiiza who led a delegation of MPs and staff of the Parliamentary Service to attend the Conference of US State Legislatures is being held at the Los Angeles Convention Centre, in Los Angeles, California 30 July – 2 Aug 2018.

The discussion also included MP Reagan, Amos Kimunya (Kenya), Curt Bramble (Utah State, US), Madoda Sambatha (North West Legislature, South Africa), Gade Fundile, and Chief Whip of Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature in South Africa.

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