THE DIPLOMATS: President Museveni with Yaw Osafo-Maafo at Munyonyo

By Sylvia Juuko
Africa may need 100 years to lift herself out of poverty unless drastic measures are taken to address the continent’s problems and achieve development, an African minister has warned.
South African finance minister Trevor Manuel told the meeting of African ministers and governors at Speke Resort Munyonyo last week that there is need to reduce poverty so as to beat the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
“Over the past 25 years, our continent has grown poorer and only four countries are on track to meet the MDGs in 2015,” Manuel said.
“In fact if substantial progress is not made, Africa will not achieve the universal education targets in 2029. Meeting the child mortality rates will happen in 2169,” he said.
In a speech read for him by the Ghanaian finance minister, Osafo-Maafo, he said national supply constraints could undermine Africa’s capacity to take advantage of new trade opportunities.
“Organisation of Economic Cooperation for Development countries spend as much as $350b annually on instruments to support their farmers,” Manuel said.
To compound this problem, African commodities like raw cocoa attract zero tariffs while 9% is charged on semi-processed products while finished products are charged 21%, he said.
Opening the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa ministers’ and governors’ meeting, President Yoweri Museveni said, “Our main weakness is that we are broken into 53 states and each faces donors alone, yet they are many.”
He said Uganda had not been able to negotiate with any donor except during the East African Customs Union meetings.
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