BOOST TRADE: Amoako at the press conference yesterday

By Alfred Wasike

THE UN Economic Commission for Africa chief, K.Y. Amoako, arrived in Uganda last evening for the commission and African Development Bank’s annual meetings that start this morning at Speke Resort Munyonyo.

Speaking at Entebbe International Airport on arrival, Amoako issued an urgent call to African finance ministers, central bank governors and other leaders to draw up programmes to bolster trade, reduce poverty and fight the AIDS scourge.

He hailed Uganda’s globally acclaimed anti-AIDS strategies and economic reforms.

Accompanied by Wasswa Birigwa, Uganda’s envoy to Ethiopia, the former World Bank top executive said, “All eyes in the world are on Africa. I hope the meetings can bolster trade so that Africa can meet the millennium goals to reduce poverty.

“President Yoweri Museveni is very eloquent on Africa’s needs. We need domestic investments.

We need domestic savings. We have been crying for access to markets, crying against agricultural subsidies by the rich nations.

“We need to remove impediments to trade. We need to encourage intra-African trade. We need to increase our capacity to export quality and quantity. We need to improve our infrastructure,” he said.

Finance permanent secretary Chris Kassami was present.

On whether he would run for the presidency of the Africa’s premier financial development bank, the ADB, he laughed and said, “I would be very honoured if they gave me that position. People have encouraged me to do it.

Our continent needs concerted efforts so that we can help our people lift themselves from poverty, disease and others.”