The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has warned business owners and the general public in the city to be careful not lose their money to fraudsters claiming to be the Authority’s workers.

A statement released today indicates that no KCCA staff receives money for and or on behalf of the Authority, and urges the public to report any cases of fraud involving its staff.

Further, according to the KCCA, all payments are made through partnering banks or mobile communication pay platforms and terminals.

“The Management of KCCA (also) brings to the attention of the general public that there are individuals and groups of people masquerading as KCCA revenue collection staff,” the statement indicates in part.

It adds: “These elements are making fraudulent assessments for clients and sometimes picking cash from their unsuspecting victims claiming to make payment on their behalf to KCCA. Once the money is handed over, they issue their victims fraudulent licenses or even disappear with their money.”

Meanwhile, the statement says KCCA has reviewed and increased parking fees on all gazetted roads, streets and access roads in the city and will be effective on September 1st. “This review has since been published in the Uganda Gazette of 18^th August 2017 as well other print media,” it says.

Vehicles owners will now pay Shs1000/ per hour which applies to the first two hours of uninterrupted parking in the same space. Shs 800 is charged for any time up to 30 minutes over and above the first two hours of uninterrupted parking mentioned above.

KCCA also says Multiplex Limited is the only authorized agent to collect and administer street parking in Kampala Capital City.

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Governments in Africa should give greater attention to tourists from within the continent to further grow the multi-billion sector rather than focus most on those from abroad, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) secretary-general Dr Mukhisa Kituyi has said.

Dr Kituyi, who was speaking at the 41st Annual World Tourism Conference, which is currently underway in Kigali, said the tourism sub sector yields about 8 per cent of the continent’s Gross Domestic Product with tourist receipts standing at over US$47 billion while tourism exports fetch over US$50 billion.

According to Dr. Kituyi, African countries often fail to appreciate and give attention to tourists from the continent, which is the fastest growing source of visitors. Instead, countries focus on tourists from Europe, America and Asia, who tend to be seasonal.

He emphasised that tourists from the continent visit the country throughout the year as opposed to the ‘preferred tourists’ who only visit seasonally.

“The fastest growing tourism is intra-African tourism. Movement of tourists from one African country to another. There are very many positive components about Intra-African tourism, one is that it is not seasonal. It is 12 months a year, conference tourism, medical tourism, educational tourism and business visit. This sustains the industry better than the occasional seasonal tourism,” he said.

According to statistics from UNCTAD, tourists from the continent make up a total of 44 per cent of the total visitors received in the continent and this is expected to grow to 50 per cent in coming years.

“Intra-African tourism grew from 34 per cent to 44 per cent of the total number of tourists in Africa. The projections are that it will be above 50 per cent in the next 10 years,” Dr Kituyi said.

The prioritisation of tourists from outside the continent, he said, has consequently led to issues such as poor service delivery to African tourists and has also influenced the messaging of African tourists’ destinations.

“There is traditional attitude that tourists are European, American and more recently Chinese arrival and African tourists are considered as distraction. Even in the messaging of attractions, we talk to everyone else other than the growing tourists.

“It is incumbent for Africa to know that they cannot grow their efficiencies as tourists’ destination unless they start appreciating that those African visitors are the main visitors of the future,” he said.

African countries can also boost intra-Africa tourism by advocating and rolling out visa-free regimes and passport-less travel across the continent.

Jose da Silva Gonçalves, the Cape Verde minister for economy and employment, admitted to giving more priority to connect to Western countries as opposed to the rest of the continent.

The country is currently well connected to the US and Europe but the minister said that going forward, they will invest in increasing connection to the rest of the continent.

Dr. Kituyi faulted African countries for not allocating sufficient budgets and resources to develop the tourism sub-sector and instead preferring traditional sectors such as mining.

‘Africa receives much more from the tourism sector than it appreciates. We still live in a time where public budgets are going into tradiotional sectors with limited dynamism and less assured potential of creating sustaniable employment and less capacity for the gender gap, ” Dr. Kituyi said.

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Following the August 14 unprecedented disaster in Sierra Leone, Tony Elumelu, the founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation and Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) recently paid a visit to the country to commiserate over the great loss caused by devastating mudslides and floods that have claimed hundreds of lives and left many more still missing.

Elumelu, in the company of former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo and Sierra Leonean President Ernest Koroma, visited some of the survivors at the Connaught Hospital in Freetown upon arrival in the country. Later on at the Sierra Leonean State House, he made a donation of USD$250,000 on behalf of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and another USD$250,000 on behalf of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) as emergency aid grants for victims of the mudslides.

Mr. Elumelu charged the world and the African private sector to rally around the ongoing rehabilitation and relief efforts.

“For me, the little token we are giving is what it is, little, but symbolic. At a time like this, the world must come together to support the victims of this unfortunate disaster. It is not a situation that one prays to be in, but in the event that it does happen, we should all rally to support one another,” he said.

Elumelu urged the world not to turn a blind eye to Sierra Leone’s plight: “We have on our hands a humanitarian disaster of high proportions. It requires the attention of the entire world. We have buried over 600 lives and many hundreds more are still missing. We must turn the global spotlight on Africa. The world must stand with Africa just as in the past; Africa has stood with the world,” he said.

The UBA Chairman reassured Sierra Leoneans of the Bank’s steadfast support. “United Bank for Africa (UBA) will continue to play its role in helping small and medium scale enterprises, and women, especially from the affected areas, to enable them rebuild their economic lives.

The Sierra Leonean President commended Elumelu’s unwavering presence in the country’s times of need, stating: “In you we have a brother and someone we can rely on.” He praised the consistency of the Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF). “You have always provided us with support. United Bank for Africa (UBA) was here immediately after the war to provide us with banking services to support our rebuilding efforts. Again, during our fight against Ebola, you were here through the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and provided us with great support. And now again, you have come to support us.”

Elumelu’s donation will support the victims, some of whom are in hospital needing food, clothing and medicine. The much-needed assistance will also go towards the ongoing recovery efforts and the construction of permanent settlements for the affected persons.

The Sierra Leonean mudslides are the third catastrophe to devastate the West African country in the past two decades.

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