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Fort Portal Hospital gets dispensers worth Shs29.4m

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital has received four drinking water dispensers worth Shs 29.4 million. The dispensers will increase access to safe drinking water for patients, caretakers and medical personnel while helping the facility save on costs related to drinking water.

The hospital serves 10 surrounding districts and receives over 800 patients daily who have to provide their own drinking water to take medication, with many resorting to drinking un-boiled water, which leads to several diseases.

Donated by Absa Bank, the water units will cater to 174 ill children and their caretakers under the children’s ward; 107 people under the maternity ward; 101 women in labour and post-natal care and 111 caretakers under the gynecology ward; 300 people under the Out-Patient Department – which is the busiest department and; an average of 170 people in the Emergency Unit.

Mumba Kalifungwa, Absa Bank Uganda’s Managing Director, said, “The world is already facing a water crisis, and it is doubly tragic that this crisis is trickling down and affecting those with great need within our health facilities. Through these dispensers, we are staying true to our commitment to being a force for good in the society we live and operate in for the good of the people of Fort Portal and the surrounding districts.”

According to the World Health Organisation, over two billion people globally live in water-stressed countries, which is expected to be exacerbated in some regions as a result of climate change and population growth.  Additionally, eight out of 10 people who lack even basic drinking water services live in rural areas, and about half of them live in the least developed countries (LDCs).

Dr Oscar Kaliisa Kyebambe, the Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital deputy director, said, “Clean and safe drinking water is an absolute necessity for a healthy and thriving society, and as a health facility, the inadequate access to drinking water has been a cause of delays for in patients around receiving and positively responding to treatment.”

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Dear Africa, we must fix African Union by ourselves

By
Guest Writer
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Writer of the article David Matsanga.

By David Matsanga

I write this note because of the dangers that are facing Africa. Africa is heading in a wrong direction towards collapse. Our African Union (AU) has been captured by external non-member states, who give us the agenda.

Our strength of unity has been diluted by the same external forces that pay both sides in Africa to create chaos and conflicts on the continent.

The dark forces pay opposition and the pay the same governments and leave Africa to boil.

It is certainly the stupidity of we African people ourselves who have allowed to be used by external dark forces. It is our refusal to think for ourselves or our refusal to take our own destiny in our hands. It our abject lack of self-belief!  

We as Africans are a confused lot. It is a sheer scale of pride and ego that has made us not say we are the problem. Look at the way we beg Western nations to do things for us yet we could do them without their support. We have not learnt lessons from China which was poor 40 years ago. Today it gives us loans!!!!

It is a fact that certainly, the systemic engineering is working on us so much so that we brutalize ourselves, we destroy one another, we find every chance to cheat ourselves, and go as far as killing one another. 

Look at the current spate of elections related noise that we see in Africa. Look at the damage caused by a foreign doctrine of having periodic election every 4 or 5 years and the type of damage we have caused to our countries.

I see the danger of Africa disintegrating if we don’t act now to change the trend by recapturing AU. How can anyone be expecting less of these of happening to us, when we are told from childhood that we are our own enemies?

My fellow Africans, if we are our own enemies then we shall continue to do the worse against one another because no one does anything positive towards his known enemy.  We therefore must change the course.

We must resist the temptations of George Soros methods of regime change that I see taking a wave in Africa.  The happening across the continent worry me and would worry any Pan African alive.

I believe that we can change the AUC for the best of generations to come not for the next elections. Sadly, we have not cooperated and felt proud to be with everyone on the surface of the earth except with ourselves.

My fellow Africans, we have revisited issues that were created by colonialists as future obstacles. Lesotho wants the map of Africa redrawn. How many African states will want the boundaries redrawn?

My fellow Africans deep in me, I have unquestionable conviction that it is not possible! No matter how deep the crack is, we are capable of fixing it. As Africans we need to fix this at one time.

My fellow Africans we must retake our AU to the original objectives. It has lost the compass bearing and the ship is sinking. The current leadership at AUC has no clue on what must be done to stop the ship from sinking.

The sharp conflicts in Libya, DRC, Somalia, Cameroon, Nigeria, the civil uprisings in several African countries after Elections or due to corruption allegations, the clamour   for redrawing boundaries, all add to my call for FIXING AFRICA  .

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Gen. Muhoozi attacks Ministers over big conveys

By
Our Reporter
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Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba

Gen Kainerugaba Muhoozi, President Museveni’s Adviser on Special Operations, has attacked ministers over big convoys accusing them of causing lot of jam in Kampala.

Muhoozi posted on his twitter handle“They are all panicking in their big offices, big cars, convoys that cause traffic jams in Kampala. How can every Minister have a convoy?” Muhoozi tweeted.

Muhoozi added that it is only the president to have a convoy, not anyone else.

“Only Mzee, the President, should have a convoy. Only I, MK, can travel to Kisekka Market in my vehicle and be received with flowers,” he said.

In Uganda, all ministers are entitled to convoys for security purposes and given direct way on all roads.

He went further and warned the National Resistance Movement Secretary General, Richard Twodong for over yapping.

 “Oh! Twodong? He is shouting a lot these days? Is he scared that we might remove him from being Secretary General?” Muhoozi asked.

The attack on Twodong comes in at a time when he recently said that President Museveni is very young and is at the best age of being a president and that he now understands Uganda’s issues with wisdom, maturity and patience. Gen. Muhoozi, who is yearning for the presidential seat, could not swallow these utterances by the NRM Secretary General.

Muhoozi had earlier warned ICT Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi saying “I remember planning with my father to arrest this gentleman back in 2012 when he was a ‘rebel’ MP” Gen. Muhoozi reference to Baryomunsi was after he (Baryomunsi) had stated that he (Muhoozi) was not a member of NRM but rather a serving military officer”

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UPDF is in Congo for Peacekeeping not battling the M-23 rebels, says Museveni

By
Simon Kabayo
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UPDF soldiers readies themselves for deployment in DRC.

President Museveni has clarified that the deployment of more Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDDF) in Democratic Republic of Congo is to keep peace but not battling the M-23 rebels.

Museveni revealed this in a statement issued on Thursday that, “we are not going to battle or fight the M-23. The Congolese government and the M-23, have agreed to a peace plan. This involves cessation of hostilities (fighting), withdrawal of the M-23 from some of the specified areas they had captured to other areas that have been agreed upon.”  he said. 

There had been speculative speculated that the 1,000 troops had been deployed to DRC to fight the M-23 rebels.

The statement added that the DRC government has been involved in peace talks with the rebels. He noted that the two should continue as is to solve the problem and return peace to Eastern DRC.

“Our initial mission, therefore, is to occupy some of the positions that the M-23 has handed over to the East African Force as a neutral force, instead of the Congolese army which the M-23 see as enemies or armed opponents in their internal politics,” he said.

 He added that the troops will be in the Bunagana–Rutshuru area to act to act as a neutral force as the Congolese warrying parties get political solutions to the conflict.

The president said: “Unless we are attacked, we are not there to fight,”.

The Ugandan troops will be in Bunagana and Rutshuru, the areas where the M23 have been operating. Museveni also said the East African Regional Force would fight if non-state actors do not follow what has been follow peace agreement.

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FINANCIAL YEAR RESULTS: Dfcu Group, Bank registers decline in operating income

By
Our Reporter
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Dfcu bank has registered a decline of Shs11.9 billion in operating income, the audited financial results for the year that ended on December 31, 2022.

The results indicate that the bank registered a loss of Shs4.8 billion in net interest income whereas the operating expenses grew from Shs179.6 billion to Shs299.4 billion in the last financial year.

“Credit loss expense on financial assets reduced from Shs148.5 billion to Shs88.1 billion. Profit before tax shot up from Shs10.4 billion to Shs34.8 billion,” the results indicate.

It further shows that profit after tax for the year   increased from Shs13.2 billion to Shs30.6 billion. In tandem, the group recorded a decline of Shs4.5 billion in net interest income in the financial year ending 2022.

The results also indicate that the group’s total operating income reduced by Shs11.5 billion from Shs368.6 billion in 2021 to Shs356.9 billion.

Further shows that the group’s operating expenses went up from Shs183.5 billion to Shs228.4 billion.

A statement from the board of directors of Dfcu Limited underpinned the company’s continued strategic and ongoing investments in technology to further strengthen its ability to serve changing customer needs.

“The company deployed enhancements to the core banking platform, online, mobile and agency banking channels to improve customer experience. The new digital capabilities have further improved operating efficiency, enabled new ways of working and ultimately reduced the cost to serve customers”, the board said.

The board said Dfcu continued to make a difference in the community with several initiatives in the areas of agriculture, women in business and financial inclusion, and showed greater importance to environmental, social, governance programs (ESG).

Through the agribusiness development centre, the company expanded its support to agribusinesses with capacity building, provision of credit and value chain financing.

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Stanbic Bank unveils 8th edition of National Schools Championship

By
Simon Kabayo
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Stanbic Bank has unveiled the 8th edition of the National Schools Championship programme to further support Uganda’s economic resilience. For the last eight years the program has impacted 420,000 students across the country and expanded opportunities by empowering young people with employable and entrepreneurial skills.  

The annual challenge is aimed at nurturing participants into a generation of innovative job creators with knowledge and life skills such as managing personal finance, entrepreneurship, and business management.   Annually, 600 business ideas are mooted by the students and to date, 187 startups have been brought to life along with numerous growth stories from alumni and patron teachers as a direct result of the championship.

 The overall theme is ‘Empowering the job creators of tomorrow’, with the 2023 tagline ‘Powering Innovation for Job Creation’,  intended to encourage learners to develop innovative solutions to the challenges in their communities.   Stanbic Bank is the anchor subsidiary of Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited which in turn is part of Standard Bank Group, the largest African banking group by assets.   Speaking during the official launch of the 2023 NSC at Crested Towers Emma Mugisha, the Stanbic Bank Executive Director said, “We cannot reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals without investing in youth skills. As Stanbic Bank, we are exceedingly proud of the Championship.

It is our flagship CSI initiative and we are also proud of our long partnership with the Ministry of Education and Sports, to empower young people to play their future roles in the economic development of this country.”   “Not only are they being equipped with life skills to be able to make responsible decisions; meet challenges head on; and set and achieve goals, they are also benefiting from training in financial literacy, business skills and entrepreneurship. At the same time they learn the importance of integrating environmental protection to ensure sustainable development,” she said.   Mugisha said, “Through the NSC, we are preparing these students for the future of work, whether that is in employment, self-employment or as an entrepreneur. We are giving them the vital push they need for them to take control of their future and be able to meaningfully contribute to their communities. This falls squarely in line with our mandate Uganda is our home, we drive her growth”   Mugisha also appreciated the partners that have been a part of the National Schools Championship over the years – The implementing partner, Investors Club, NBS, Roofings, Total, PWC and International University of East Africa (IUEA).  

Classroom competitions involving an initial 100 schools have already taken place to select the students who will move onto the next stage. In the first week of April these students will take part in the Business Innovations Ideas presentation stage. During the second half of 2023 over 60,000 students are expected to compete in the business ideas challenge.   The main categories are; Start-ups which involves new schools and innovative ideas (81 schools) and Biz Grow that judges businesses continuing in schools with 19 schools competing. The other categories are Alumni (AlumGrow Challenge) and teachers (TeachGrow Challenge).  

The Minister of Youth and Children Affairs, Sarah Mateke said, “The Ministry believes that to utilize young people’s potential as agents of change, requires involving and empowering them. From the very beginning we have been enthusiastic partners with Stanbic Bank in holding the annual National Schools Championship. By teaching our students to be job-creators and problem-solvers, this competition is helping to bridge the gap between educational institutions and the community to collaborate on finding solutions that strengthen community development.”  

She explained that the Ministry also believes that learning is not confined to the achievement of academic goals alone. It can and should be promoted in a range of other contexts both within and outside of the classroom as represented by the National Schools Championship. And that school competitions also help students to develop and demonstrate real-world skills, which can be relevant for almost any job.   “We therefore applaud Stanbic Bank for their continued sponsorship of this competition and declare this Season 8 officially open” Mateke said.

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Gov’t, Sudhir Ruparelia agree to build Shs147b Convention Centre

By
Simon Kabayo
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The government of Uganda in partnership with businessman tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia have agreed to build a modern Convention Centre at the Commonwealth Speke Resort Munyonyo to host the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit.

The Ministry of Finance has finalized the budget and presented a supplementary request of UGX86.4 billion to the Parliament. These funds will be used to co-invest in the project.

The Centre will also host the South Summit of the G77 and China in the future. Members of Parliament on the Budget Committee commended the foresight of the project and showed positive signs towards the approval of the request.

The architectural designs and bill of quantities for engineering works are still under preparation at the moment. However, they estimated the construction cost to be about $40m (Shs147b).

Mr. Sudhir provided the land as well as the technical supervision of the project. The finance minister, Matia Kasaija said the government had inadequate funds to build its own convention Centre on its land.

“It is an urgent project, and a lot of money is needed which will be difficult for the government [to muster at short notice]. [The] government does not have all the money. There are many things we have to do; so, if we find a partner, it is easier,” the Minister said earlier.

He added that they are undertaking the project in partnership with Sudhir on top of other technicalities. He said that once the Convention Centre starts making money, they will both share the profits.

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Emirates train cabin crew on hidden disabilities ahead of World Autism Day

By
Our Reporter
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Emirates celebrates the arrival of its inaugural flight from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), marking the launch of their eleventh U.S. gateway on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Jesus Aranguren/AP Images for Emirates Airline)

With concerted efforts to further enhance support services for travellers with hidden disabilities including Autism, Emirates has rolled out specialised training to more than 24,000 global cabin crew to ensure passenger comfort onboard.
The online course was first launched in 2022 and covers recognising autism, practical tips on how to assist passengers with hidden disabilities, responding with empathy, and information on the official support systems to help passengers in the airport.
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. Known as a spectrum disorder because there are wide variations in the types and severity of symptoms people experience, a range of sensory needs can occur.


Emirates supports passengers with hidden disabilities by providing as much information in advance as possible, so that families can plan, rehearse, and be reassured about their upcoming travel.
Passengers who declare a hidden disability will be facilitated as much as possible in the complimentary selection of suitable seats, for example the bulkhead seats at the front and middle of the aircraft for both the autistic passenger and their companion.


Collect the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a globally recognised symbol for hidden disabilities. Emirates staff with Sunflower pins are easily identifiable and specially trained to assist travellers with hidden disabilities.
Passengers are encouraged to declare their hidden disability to these staff and collect a Sunflower Lanyard to wear or bring their own from home, allowing for support throughout the airport journey.


Autism Friendly Route
The Autism Friendly Route through Dubai International Airport (DXB) ensures that People of Determination (POD) can move through the airport with a dedicated route. It includes access to priority lanes for check-in, passport control, security and boarding; and can be availed when wearing the sunflower lanyard. Specially trained staff equipped to support POD travellers will be easily identifiable wearing sunflower pins, allowing for increased visibility, communication and support throughout the airport journey.


Light Sensitivity
If the customer, child or family member informs Emirates cabin crew about a light sensitivity, cabin crew can turn off the passenger’s individual light, close the window blind after take-off, and explain that the cabin lights will be dimmed as soon as the meal services are completed.

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African revenue administrators resolve to jointly fight cross border tax evasion

By
Simon Kabayo
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Revenue administrators from 32 African countries have resolved to share information so as to stop the continued hiding of assets by several individuals and businesses with intent to dodge taxes.

This was reached in the three-day ATAF/Global Forum Joint Regional Workshop on Cross-border Assistance in the Recovery of Tax Claims that started in Kampala on Monday and ended on Wednesday.

During the workshop, the delegates agreed to strengthen asset recovery measures in other contexts such as anti-money laundering and anti-corruption contexts.

Ephraim Murenzi, the ATAF Specialist on Exchange of Information, reckoned that both ATAF and Global Forum acknowledge the efforts by tax administrators in Africa to enforce domestic laws and recover relevant taxes but however noted that these efforts cannot bear fruits unless there is enhanced cooperation through exchange of information and other administrative assistance in tax matters.

This stance was shared by Ervice Tchouata, a Senior Tax Policy Advisor who noted that Africa needs to keep strengthening the exchange of information framework to enhance her administrative capabilities.

John R Musinguzi, the Commissioner General of URA, said some non-compliant taxpayers are taking advantage of lack of cooperation between countries to shift capital from one state to another with little to no detection.

“I am afraid, they (non-compliant taxpayers) can no longer succeed with this as long as we choose this path of information exchange where we are able to prevent these moves and recover revenue,” he said.

“The time is now for Africa to rise to ensure we collect at least 20% of our GDP so we can take our citizens into the era of self-sufficiency,” he added.

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 ZTE and BCX sign a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly promote the deployment of digital solutions in South Africa

By
Our Reporter
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ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a global leading provider of information and communication technology solutions and BCX, a trusted ICT partner to a full-service digital transformation enabler have signed a strategic cooperation agreement at the Mobile World Congress 2023 (MWC 2023) in Barcelona. The agreement aims to promote the deployment of digital solutions for various industries in South Africa.

Under this agreement, BCX and ZTE will deepen their cooperation in digital infrastructure, including servers, storage, Private 5G, data center infrastructure, and private clouds. With the signing of this agreement, BCX has become an official channel partner of ZTE in South Africa’s enterprise network market. BCX will distribute and resell ZTE products and services.

Jonas Bogoshi, CEO of BCX , said, “BCX is excited to collaborate with ZTE to expand the ICT market in South Africa and drive digital transformation forward. ZTE’s expertise in digital infrastructure, including cloud infrastructure, is particularly applicable to our hyperscale strategy. This will complement BCX’s cloud dominance plan, enabling us to provide our clients with even more efficient and intelligent solutions for their digital transformation journeys.”

Zhang Wanchun, Senior Vice President (SVP) and General Manager of the Wireless Product Operation Division at ZTE, said, “BCX takes a deep dive into Africa and the Middle East, and has made great achievements in regional digitalization. The strategic cooperation between ZTE and BCX can achieve complementary advantages. ZTE and BCX will bring about more changes and market opportunities in the industry’s expansion and help accelerate the regional digitalization process.”  

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