Government To Phase Out ‘Mivumba’ â€" Minister
Aug 06, 2003
THE Government is to systematically phase out second-hand clothes popularly known as mivumba instead of banning them, Parliament has heard.
By Joyce Namutebi
And Jude Luggya
THE Government is to systematically phase out second-hand clothes popularly known as mivumba instead of banning them, Parliament has heard.
The Minister of State for Economic Monitoring, Office of the President, Omwony Ojwok, said yesterday that the Government was alerting potential investors that there is room to invest in textiles. “The policy since the previous budget was that we have gone into a programme of making mivumba systematically not viable instead of banning them.
“Through fiscal policy, we are alerting potential investors that there is room to invest in this sector. We are sending signals to investors that they are going to be supported and slowly, mivumba will go,†Ojwok said.
He was responding to questions raised by the parliamentary committee on presidential and foreign affairs. Aggrey Awori (Samia Bugwe North) said there was no clear policy on mivumba, whose continued importation into the country was killing the local textile industry. Salaamu Musumba (Bugabula South) chaired the committee scrutinising the budget of the directorate of economic monitoring.
Ojwok said banning the importation of mivumba would not only cause an economic crisis, but a political one as well.
The MPs questioned the minister on the sh2b unaccounted for that was meant for telecommunications in northern Uganda. Awori said Uganda has a problem getting money from the Belgian government because of this money. Reagan Okumu (Aswa) said the money was diverted to a mango project.
The committee is meeting MPs from northern Uganda today over the money. MPs wanted to know whether the directorate had the capacity to monitor the national, regional and international economies in this era of globalisation.
“Sh166m (budget of the directorate) can’t monitor an economy. If it can’t, why should we pass the budget?†asked Betty Amongi (Apac). The MPs wanted to know how often Ojwok meets the President because whenever the President was talking about the economy he talks of being frustrated.
Ojwok said he had no complaint because he was one of the few ministers who meet him very often.
Ends
And Jude Luggya
THE Government is to systematically phase out second-hand clothes popularly known as mivumba instead of banning them, Parliament has heard.
The Minister of State for Economic Monitoring, Office of the President, Omwony Ojwok, said yesterday that the Government was alerting potential investors that there is room to invest in textiles. “The policy since the previous budget was that we have gone into a programme of making mivumba systematically not viable instead of banning them.
“Through fiscal policy, we are alerting potential investors that there is room to invest in this sector. We are sending signals to investors that they are going to be supported and slowly, mivumba will go,†Ojwok said.
He was responding to questions raised by the parliamentary committee on presidential and foreign affairs. Aggrey Awori (Samia Bugwe North) said there was no clear policy on mivumba, whose continued importation into the country was killing the local textile industry. Salaamu Musumba (Bugabula South) chaired the committee scrutinising the budget of the directorate of economic monitoring.
Ojwok said banning the importation of mivumba would not only cause an economic crisis, but a political one as well.
The MPs questioned the minister on the sh2b unaccounted for that was meant for telecommunications in northern Uganda. Awori said Uganda has a problem getting money from the Belgian government because of this money. Reagan Okumu (Aswa) said the money was diverted to a mango project.
The committee is meeting MPs from northern Uganda today over the money. MPs wanted to know whether the directorate had the capacity to monitor the national, regional and international economies in this era of globalisation.
“Sh166m (budget of the directorate) can’t monitor an economy. If it can’t, why should we pass the budget?†asked Betty Amongi (Apac). The MPs wanted to know how often Ojwok meets the President because whenever the President was talking about the economy he talks of being frustrated.
Ojwok said he had no complaint because he was one of the few ministers who meet him very often.
Ends