Last Friday, President Yoweri Museveni held his Inaugural Cabinet meeting where he tasked the incoming ministers with a 15-Point plan detailing what is expected of them in an effort to move Uganda into a middle income status by 2020.
Uganda is currently a low income country and the transition from low income to a middle income country will mean our Gross National Income goes from about $1,045 to over $2,000, which will be no easy task. Drastic measures have to be taken to attain the middle income status.
The President, therefore, tasked his ministers to encourage investment in the country. He said he expects no delays when it comes to licensing investors. He said he was irked by the fact that investors who come here willingly are ‘tossed about’ causing delays that sometimes make them lose interest and decide to invest in other countries.
I also think that the long bureaucratic process is disadvantageous to our country because the investors would, otherwise, have taken this opportunity else where with a much faster licensing system. The vision of a middle income status cannot come to fruition with such a choke point in the system.
The president also mentioned that there should be a provision where feasibility studies of potential products are carried out across the whole spectrum of our raw materials of agriculture, minerals and skills before being presented to potential investors.
I believe this will give us the upper hand when it comes to making decisions about what these investors can and should concentrate their efforts on. It also makes us knowledgeable on how many opportunities we have and how much we can do to change our country. The moment we realise this, is when we shall stop dragging our feet and work hard towards achieving a middle income status.
hannah.nyombi36@gmail.com
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