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 Al, SMEs to drive the growth of communications platform as a service market by 2030 – Infobip

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) and small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) are projected to play a significant role in driving rapid growth of the communications platform-as-a-service market in the next seven years, global cloud Communications Company Infobip revealed.

The communications platform-as-a-service Growth Outlook 2023 report shows that the global market for cloud-based communication platforms is poised to surge, reaching $100 billion by 2030. This forecast marks a substantial increase from the current valuation of $20 billion.

“We’re seeing CPaaS technology helping organizations of all sizes with an efficient way to reach, communicate and retain their customers via very efficient tools. The fast-moving pace of the world driven by digital transformation is leading Ugandan businesses to be more agile, flexible and scalable by meeting the customer where they are,” said Infobip Key Account Executive Duncan Mochama.

The report by CPaaS Acceleration Alliance (CPaaSAA) in collaboration with influential analysts and key industry players, suggests that in the next three years, about 90 percent of global enterprises will strategically harness CPaaS as a vital IT skill set. CpaaS is a cloud communication platform as a service that empowers organizations and developers to seamlessly integrate communication functionalities into their applications.

Through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and software development kits (SDKs), these platforms offer the ability to seamlessly embed voice, video, chat, and messaging into applications and services. The versatility of CPaaS permits businesses to effectively utilize various communication channels such as SMS, voice, or popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Viber, and Messenger. This adaptability facilitates the adoption of new communication channels in line with shifting customer preferences.

Examples of CPaaS-driven messages include order confirmations, shipping updates, marketing communications, appointment reminders, password reset notifications, notifications for new device account logins, and voice authentication among others. These SMS messages can be either scheduled or triggered.

“AI seamlessly integrates with CPaaS due to its maturity. Speech recognition, chatbots, and image recognition have achieved remarkable accuracy levels, enabling crucial workflows via phone, chat, and messaging,” Mochama added.

Mochama highlights the growing trend of AI-powered chatbots serving customer and agent support needs, in addition to workflow automation that employs AI to detect and address potentially risky or non-compliant scenarios.

Mochama says that unlike in the past, now the customers want to feel valued by being heard.

 “Customers are seeking personalized messages, motivating businesses to tackle this challenge by adopting technologies like CPaaS. With Internet Penetration across the region coupled with ease of access to features and smart mobile phones, personalized experience to end users is no longer an option in all verticals (BFSI, Travel and Hospitality, E-Commerce and Retail, Healthcare),” he said.

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Parliament investigates Shs19b paid to teachers with forged appointment letters

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Committee Chairman Gilbert Olanya.

Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee is investigating how the government lost Shs19 billion to 609 ‘teachers’ who forged appointment letters.

Every year, the office of the Auditor General conducts audits into various government agencies and later hand over the reports to the Speaker of Parliament by December 30. The reports include; value for money, engineering, project implementations and others.

According to the report, the ‘teachers’ had been earning salaries for a period ranging between one to 39 years, in 129 districts. The Teachers were discovered in 2022 by the Auditor General.

Chaired by Kilak South MP Gilbert Olanya, the committee established that in Iganga district, two individuals with forged minutes purportedly from the Education Service Commission earned Shs11, 014,648 and these had been on the payroll for an average of 17.5 years.

In Arua District, Shs48, 303,762 was paid to three secondary school employees including; Alioni Emmanuel who earned Shs16, 796,716, Olima Anceto Shs18, 094,438 and Ojonduga Faustine who earned Shs13, 412,608.

In Agago District, Shs253, 421,413 was paid to 52 secondary school employees who were not in the database been on the payroll for an average of 5 years.

In Nakasongola District, six individuals forged minutes purportedly from Education Service Commission and had earned Shs52, 361,851 in 2021/2022 alone and these individuals had been on the payroll for the past two to 22 years.

Earlier this year, the Office of the Auditor General will introduce an audit recommendations tool to fast-track the implementation of all recommendations in the previous audit reports.

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EU, Gov’t, flag off 19 Ugandan students to various European countries to further their studies

By
Geoffery Serugo
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European Union through the Erasmus program has flagged of 19 Ugandan students to continue their higher education in various European countries.

The 19 students will study in at least two different universities, located in different countries during their journey. The first European countries to host this year’s group of students are Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Sweden.

According to Jan Sadek, the Ambassador of the European Union to Uganda students will gain a unique European and international experience which will enrich them and have an impact on their future professional and private life.

The EU in partnership with Belgium, Germany and the UN will soon launch a new program of EUR 112 million to promote education for adolescent girls and support some 200 schools in Uganda, reduce sexual and gender-based violence and promote sexual and reproductive health and rights.

“The EU supports youth empowerment, be it their economic empowerment or their participation in decision and policy processes at local and national levels through several grants to civil society organisations,” he said.

He said globally and at country levels, youth is an important stakeholder for the EU and we make efforts to better listen to what they have to say and to influence our policies and programs. In this context, here in Uganda, we are about to launch a youth sounding board to foster a stronger dialogue between youth from across the country and the EU.

State Minister for Primary Education, Dr. Joyce Moriko Kaducu said by the grace of God, you have been chosen to receive such prestigious awards and scholarships. We congratulate you ALL because a lot of potential has been identified in you all. As you go, remember to raise our flag high up.

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NSSF new strategy targets Shs50 trillion assets by 2035 

By
Simon Kabayo
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The newly appointed Managing Director of National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Mr Patrick Ayota, has unveiled the Fund’s new strategy in which he seeks to raise assets from the current Shs18.4 trillion to Shs50 trillion by the year 2035.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, 23 August 2023, Ayota said to achieve the strategy, they aim to elevate the country’s workforce enrolment from its current 10% to 50%.

“Both I and our deputy Managing Director are not new to the Fund as you have been apprised. This is a confidence vote by the Board and the Minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development Betty Amongi, and a sign that the Fund has a robust succession plan in place,” he said.

Ayota said that in 2015, the Fund developed a 10-year Strategic Plan, which was anchored on growing the Fund to Shs20 trillion by 2025, improving Customer Satisfaction to 95%, improving Staff Satisfaction to 95% and paying the Age Benefit within one day.

“The Fund is now over Shs18.4 trillion, Customer Satisfaction is at 85%, Staff Satisfaction stands at 86% and our Benefits payment timeline stands at 9 days. I am glad to note that we are on course to meet, and in some instances surpass these targets by 2025,” he explained.

He explained that cognizant of the new legal mandate the Fund has, as envisioned by the NSSF Act, they have developed Vision 2035 which is anchored around 3 strategic pillars.

The pillars are expansion of social security coverage – from 10% to 50% of Uganda’s working population by 2035, growing the Fund – from the current Shs18.4 trillion to Shs50 trillion by 2035 and Efficiently serving their customers – targeting customer satisfaction rate from the current 86% to 95% by 2035

“To achieve the above objectives, we will deliberately seek to; create a willingness to save and create capacity to save. We will do so through Innovation and Agility. Creating a capacity to save simply means that the Fund will roll out a sustainability strategy focusing on job creation, intervening in the agriculture value chain, and supporting the innovation ecosystem. On the other hand, creating a willingness to save means that we shall implement empowerment programmes for our members through financial literacy, partnerships, increasing compliance, and innovating value-adding products,” he said.

Ayota said despite the turbulence, members trusted the NSSF Management.

“Working with the experienced and vibrant team at the Fund, I can commit that every decision will be in the interest of the member; we will create value; and we will be responsive to their needs,” he said.

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Why sitting is the new smoking

By
Guest Writer
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Dr Ddungu.

Most of us sit for hours every day – in traffic, at work, or while we watch our favourite TV shows at night. The shocking reality is that all this sitting for hours on end may be killing us.

Sitting may seem like a harmless activity, but medical experts say that doing so for long periods of time every day is associated with serious health problems like Type 2 diabetes, joint pain, blood clotting and cardiovascular disease.

You may have heard the phrase, “sitting is the new smoking,” which is credited to Dr. James Levine, Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic. He has spent years studying the science of sitting, and the unintentional danger we put ourselves in each day by leading sedentary lives.

Human bodies were not designed to sit as much as we do, says Dr. Levine. Our ancestors spent most of their lives upright as they hunted for and grew food – only occasionally sitting down for breaks. In his book Get Up! Why Your Chair Is Killing You, he states that we have gone from an ancient world of movers to a modern world of chair sloths.

If sitting is so relaxing, why is it bad for you? The problem lies in how much of it, and for how long we sit each day. When our bodies are in a static position for a lengthy period of time, all kinds of bad things happen, such as the slowing of blood circulation – which is crucial for good health – affecting every system of the body.

Poor blood circulation allows fatty acids to build up in the blood vessels, leading to heart disease. And, according to World Thrombosis Day, another risk is that when your legs remain still for hours, your calf muscles don’t contract, which normally helps blood circulate. This can lead to deep vein thrombosis (DVT), where clots form in the vessels in the calves of your legs if your calf muscles.

DVT is a serious problem. If a part of the blood clot breaks off, it can travel to the lungs, and cause blockages. This is called a pulmonary embolism (PE), and it may be fatal.

What you can do

Try and assess how many hours you spend “bottom-bound” in a day, including commuting to work, sitting at your desk, running errands in your car, and on the couch at night. Added up, it’s probably more than you think. Children who lead a sedentary life and sit for hours playing video games and watching TV instead of playing outside, are at risk of health complications, too.

It is clear that excessive sitting is impacting people negatively, just as smoking has over the years; so how can you break the habit? According to Dr. Henry Ddungu, a leading Ugandan thrombosis specialist, it’s not enough to just stand up all day long.

“Having your body stay still in any static position – whether it’s sitting, standing, or lying down – day after day, isn’t good for you. While it’s important to exercise, like going for a run or to the gym, exercise alone is not enough to offset the negative effects of sitting too much. Sitting is an independent risk factor, and its solution lies in incorporating as much movement into your day as you can,” he says.

Stay moving!

Dr. Ddungu is part of the 2023 global World Thrombosis Day campaign steering committee, who, as part of their 10th anniversary, are encouraging people to get up and move to increase blood circulation, which can help lower the risk of blood clots.

It’s all the little movements we do in the day that matter, advises Dr. Ddungu, adding that the trick is to build movement into every part of your life. “During your work week, break up chair time by staying in motion whenever possible. Stand up while you’re talking on the phone, go for a walk during lunchtime, and take a five-minute standing break for every hour that you sit down,” he says.

“If you know that you’re going to be seated for long periods of time, wear loose-fitting clothing that allows blood to circulate, and stay hydrated by drinking water, to help thin the blood.”

At home, dance while you’re cooking or cleaning the house, and go for a walk with your children at the end of the day when all the family is home. When you are out shopping, park further away from wherever you’re going and walk the rest of the way. Take the stairs instead of lifts or escalators – or at least walk up the escalator.

“Every minute of physical activity counts,” says Dr. Ddungu. “Sitting will always be a part of everyday life, but we should all be considering how we can transform our sitting choices from habitual to intentional. Make it a daily habit to move more. The less you keep your body in a static position throughout the day, the better your chances for living a healthy life.”

ENDS

Dr. Ddungu is a hematology consultant. He is the first member to represent Africa on behalf of the World Thrombosis Day Steering Committee, which is composed of leading international medical experts in the fields of hematology, thrombosis and hemostasis, vascular and general internal medicine, and public health.

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Jinja City Council partners with Nyege Nyege organisers to capitalise on business opportunities for residents

By
Bosco Agaba
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The city of Jinja has partnered with the organisers of the Nyege Nyege Festival to capitalize on business opportunities for the city’s residents and businesses.

As a result, the festival will be held in Jinja from the 9th – 12thof November at four conjoined venues within the city, namely the Source of the Nile; Jinja Showgrounds; Jinja Golf Course and; Source Gardens.

The announcement was made by the Jinja City Mayor, His Worship Peter Kasolo and other city officials alongside Derek Debru – the founder of Nyege Nyege; Robert Nsibirwa – Marketing Manager, Spirits at Uganda Breweries Limited and; Aly Alibhai – CEO of Talent Africa.

While addressing the press, His Worship Kasolo said, “As the Jinja City Council, we believe that this is an opportunity that has come to the people of Jinja because Nyege Nyege pulls a big number of international revellers from all over the world – who bring in revenue, and I encourage every person and business in Jinja to take advantage of this gathering.”

Last year’s festival, which was held at Itanda Falls, attracted 15,000 attendees – with 10,000 Ugandans, 3,000 Kenyans and 2,000 international guests.

This year, over 400 hotels in Jinja provide accommodation for all the guests while hundreds of businesses will directly or indirectly benefit from the festival by offering food, transport and other goods and services to the festival’s attendees.

Derek Debru, the founder of Nyege Nyege, said, “This year’s festival will be a real showcase of community involvement, and how music festivals can spark the imagination and dedication of an entire community and boost the local economy to leave a positive impact.”

Robert Nsibirwa – the Marketing Manager of Spirits at Uganda Breweries Limited, said, “We believe in the power of festivals to showcase the beauty of Uganda while creating a sustainable source of income for individuals within the creative industry. Thanks to Nyege Nyege, these benefits go beyond the creative ecosystem and spill over to the thousands of businesses within Jinja City – which will benefit greatly from the revenue that the festival and its attendees will bring.”

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Stanbic Bank, TotalEnergies Uganda offer Shs190m towards UMA Trade Fair

By
Francisco Adongo
-

TotalEnergies Uganda and Stanbic Bank Uganda have contributed Shs150m and Shs40m respectively, towards the 29th Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) Trade Fair due in October.

The trade fair is scheduled for 3rd to 10th October 2023 under the theme, “Driving Manufacturing and Trade Efficiency through Digital Transformation and Innovation.”

The trade fair is set to spotlight Innovation and World Class Manufacturing Excellence for local and regional manufacturers.

During the handover of the money on Wednesday August 23, 2023, the TotalEnergies Ag. Managing Director / Finance Manager Omotesele. J. Akinpelu said, “it is evident across the Ugandan and world economy that for the sustainability of any business, one must embrace digitalisation and do so quickly because the speed of its evolution is unmatched.”

“This encourages all of us as manufacturers not to be left behind as the other industries embrace digitalisation. We are excited to be part of this journey as we celebrate Uganda’s 61st Independence,” she said.

TotalEnergies gave the donation at the launch of the trade fair on Wednesday.

Phillip Otim, the Brand and Marketing Manager Stanbic Uganda, said they embrace the ethos of ‘Buy Uganda, Build Uganda, which the trade fair is promoting.

“We recognize and appreciate the leadership of the Uganda Manufacturer’s Association for maintaining a platform for our manufacturers to exhibit their ability and potential,” Otim said.

 Mr. Deo Kayemba, UMA chairman, who officiated at the launch of the fair, said by focusing on digital transformation and innovation, the fair aims to promote sustainable and eco-friendly practices, encouraging businesses to adopt technologies that reduce their environmental impact.

“This year we expect over 1,000 exhibitors, 30 country pavilions and 300,000 show visitors,” he explained.

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Gen. Nabasa urges UPDF troops to embrace intensive training to enhance operation efficiency

By
Simon Kabayo
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Gen. Nabasa addressing soldiers.

The 3rd Division Commander of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces, Major General Don William Nabasa has urged troops to embrace intensive training in order to enhance operation efficiency and effectiveness so as to pacify Karamoja and foster socio-economic transformation of the sub-region.

Maj Gen Nabasa made the remarks while officiating at the pass out of 336 soldiers who completed a three and half months’ refresher training in combat readiness and effectiveness intake 02/2023 at Kolinyang, Napak District.

 “You must embrace hard training in order for us to be combat-ready. Maintaining operation efficiency and effectiveness is a key to pacification of Karamoja Sub-region which creates conducive conditions for socio-economic transformation,” remarked Maj Gen Nabasa.

 Maj Gen Nabasa noted that UPDF being the vanguard of creating security and peace, the forces must perform their constitutional obligation for total normalcy to return to enable the people to adapt to other economic ventures rather than inter-community cattle rustling.

The Division Commander explained that in addition to a force approach to degrade hardcore criminals, the joint security forces embraced and embarked on voluntary means and campaigns focused on positive mindset change and security-community mobilization strategies to recover more arms.

On his part, Col James Barigye Rukundo, 3 Division Operation and Training Officer said that the training scope was rich in skills, making troops more oriented and acclimatized to the disarmament operational environment.

Pte Nyamusesa Abdallah was best in field and class, Pte Aseera Ronnet was overall female in range exercise, while Pte Amongin Salume attained a gift overall in the discipline.

The Division Training Officer who also doubles as the Chief Instructor, Major Richard Ariko thanked the security leadership of the division for the continued support and guidance rendered to the instructional team and facility that made the training a success.

Present at the pass-out ceremony were; ACP Francis Chemusto, Mt Moroto Regional Police Commander, Brigade and Battalion Commanders, Senior officers of UPDF, UPF and ASTU among others.

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Residents in Kingfisher Project Area get free medical services

By
Francisco Adongo
-

CNOOC Uganda Limited is once again pleased to announce its commitment to the well-being of the local community by organizing a Free Medical Camp in the Kingfisher Project Area, situated in Buhuka Flats of Kikuube District.

The Free Medical Camp, which took place on August 22, 2023, will provide invaluable medical care services to the local community, contributing to the overall enhancement of their health and well-being.

The Chinese medical team from the China-Uganda Friendship Hospital Naguru, specially brought down to Buhuka area for this initiative, will offer a wide range of medical services, including general check-ups, consultations, screenings, and treatment for various health conditions. The event aims to address immediate medical needs while also fostering awareness about the importance of preventive healthcare measures.

The Local Council Chairman (LCV) of Kikuube District, Peter Banura was in attendance to inaugurate the event and expressed the district’s gratitude for this vital initiative.

Wang Jufeng, Vice president of CNOOC Uganda Limited, expressed his enthusiasm for the event, stating, “We believe that access to quality healthcare is a fundamental right, and we are committed to making a positive impact on the communities where we operate. This free medical camp reflects our corporate values and our dedication to the well-being of the people of Uganda.”

The Free Medical Camp is just one example of the company’s efforts to uplift the local population and create a better future for all.

The company has carried out various CSR initiatives including international scholarships, CNOOC-Bunyoro Kitara Amasaza Cup Tournament, The Best Performers Awards, Relief aid to the vulnerable, Vocational Skills training programs among others.

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BoU auctions treasury bills, bonds worth Shs1t to pay debt and finance national budget 

By
Simon Kabayo
-
Dr. Michael Atingi-Ego, the Deputy Governor.

The Government of Uganda auctioned treasury bills and bonds worth Shs1.087.90 trillion in July 2023, to finance the national budget and pay debt, a new report reveals.

According to the Performance of the Economy Monthly Report for July 2023 released by the Finance ministry on Monday, August 21, 2023, during the month of July 2023, three primary market auctions for securities were undertaken.

“From them, a total of Shs1.087.90 trillion (at cost) was raised. Of this, Shs561.62 billion was from Treasury Bills while Shs.526.28 billion was from Treasury Bonds,” the report reads in part.

“Of the amount raised, securities worth Shs335.29 billion were issued for the refinancing of maturing debt whilst Shs752.60 billion went towards financing other items in the Government budget,” it adds.

The government is currently implementing a Shs52.7 trillion budget. However, due to significant donor funding cuts, it is struggling to finance the budget, hence turning to the securities.

Treasury bills are risk-free short term financial instruments for investment regularly issued to the public by the government through the Bank of Uganda. The investment period for treasury bills is short term tenors of: 3 months (91days), 6 months (182 days) and 1 year (364 days).

Treasury bonds on the other hand are long term financial instruments also issued by the government through Bank of Uganda to the investing public. The Investment Period for Treasury Bonds is long term tenors of: 2 years, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years and 15 years

According to the report, there was a general decline in yields of treasury instruments during the month of July. Whereas the yield on the 91-day Treasury bill was unchanged at 9.8%, yields for the 182-day and 364-day tenors fell from 11.7% and 12.3% in June 2023 to 11% and 12%, respectively.

“The decline in yields for these instruments was largely due to increased demand for Government securities during the month. All auctions for Treasury Bills were oversubscribed, with the average bid to cover ratio being recorded at 3.09 in July 2023,” the report states.

During the month, the Government issued two T-bond instruments with tenors of 3 years and 20 years. The Yield to Maturity for the 3-year tenor decreased to 13.5% in July from the 14.0% recorded in June. Similarly, the Yield to Maturity for the 20-year tenor lowered to 15%, from 16.25% reported in the previous issuance.

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