Reflecting on independence

By Patrick Mutegeki

Yesterday, Uganda marked 49 years of independence. It is a season to refelect on what we have achieved, as a country, and seek ways of sustaining and making them better. This is the period to evaluate the challenges faced.

A major player in all these reflections is the globalising nature of factors of production and the associated socio-economic and political effects. Their advantages and costs as well as how these affect governance, cost of production and cost of living need to be evaluated. But also, their effects on how communities perceive themselves vis-à-vis others and how this affects socio-economic development and stability.

Therefore, the independence anniversary is indeed a very important time to chart out the way forward.

A major challenge facing us but also increasingly facing many countries is the growing gap between people’s wants and the nations’ financial ability to meet these needs. The amount of revenue generated, whether in developed or developing nations, has, for several years, been largely lower than what is needed to finance the existing demands. 

Many governments have responded by borrowing and in the process accumulated huge debts. That is partly why today public debt is a major challenge for many countries, with, of course, few exceptions.

Japan, the US, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Ireland are all in debt and yet regarded as neither corrupt nor undemocratic. In all these countries, unemployment and the gap between the rich and the poor are major concerns piling up more pressure on administrations to find better solutions.

Given the above scenario, the situation for Uganda is even more complicated. The democratic systems are just being developed and the amount of revenue generated is much lower. The populations’ needs are also far higher and with increasing activism. 

Demand for jobs, better pay, better service delivery, all of which largely require more finances, are increasing at a rate higher than the generated tax revenue.

Even with the successful blocking of public funds’ leakages, the demands would still outweigh the Government revenue in the current dimensions of the global economic system. 

So, how do we move forward? In addition to the noble cause of working towards blocking the leakages in a less inciting and politicised way, there is a need to work towards maximising the innovations of globalisation but also jointly challenge its overt and covert negative effects. Work towards promoting and rewarding hard work and innovative competitive investments. But at the same time challenge ourselves to create ways of living within our means as these means gradually improve. 

Lastly, there is a need to continue sensitising ourselves that development is a process that takes time and dedicated efforts from all of us working in the right direction and putting service above self.