Letter of the day

SIR — The year has come to a close and we are obliged to take stock of our activities in 2006 and plan for 2007. This has been a year of challenges filled with tight cash flow problems as we tried to make ends meet and leading acceptable lifestyles.

Could it be that our expenses were not prioritised and/or we spent on items not planned for? Could it be that we were living beyond our means? Were our sources limited by design or do we continue to blame the government for its monetary policies that are driven towards reducing disposable incomes among its population?

Will “bona bagaggawale” be achieved in 2007 as the government wants to make us believe? What do we need to do as citizens of this country to change our livelihood. Where are the answers to the widespread poverty?

How do the choices we make as individuals affect the environment? Unfortunately, education today has increasingly become part of the problem and not the solution. Much of our education is centred on good grades which we think means better jobs.

There is therefore little emphasis on hands-on approach and job creation. The general feeling is there is no capital and even where there is it is evident that this will never be enough to start an income-generating scheme. The usual suspect takes the blame — the government is not doing enough to create jobs!

I do not know where opinion leaders and government officials get the claim that they can do away with poverty completely. However, there is hope that it can be controlled. Our focus should be on trying to enlighten the population on good financial management practices however small our incomes are. Is it true that if you can’t manage small amounts at your disposal you can’t manage larger amounts?

A friend of mine once made a general observation: “Ugandans would like to live and shop like whites but do not want to work like them.” what does this mean? Our spending patterns exceed our incomes.

Most “investors” I have been in contact with have confirmed that there is brisk business in Uganda.

Although I agree to some extent that government involvement at this stage is paramount, the individual is key to achieving this.

Financial managers propose that once an entity receives money that is unaccounted or unbudgeted for it becomes a problem and might lead to financial disparities. We all need to be informed that to improve our lives we shouldn’t expect gifts but work hard and strive to develop good financial discipline through savings and improved spending habits.

Happy New Year!

Arthur Kaliisa
arthurkal@yahoo.co.uk