MPs demand comprehensive land use policy

MEMBERS of the natural resources committee want the Ministry of Lands, Water and Environment to produce a comprehensive land use policy in time to avert escalating land problems, reports Cyprian Musoke.They also called for an amendment of the Surveys Act and regulations, and an appraisal of the state of Uganda’s national boundaries.Debating the ministerial policy statement at Parliament on Friday, the MPs said despite the time limit that the Constitution puts on the presentation of a land use policy, the ministry has not yet presented its position on the same.“The Constitution puts a deadline to the land use policy coming into operation. I don’t know why they don’t write the land policy. It must be there because I think that this is within the reach of the ministry because they have technocrats there. If the technocrats cannot do it on time, let them pack up and go home,” said Ndawula Kaweesi, who chaired the committee.Members blamed the congestion in the city and hazardous planning on the absence of the land use policy.“I see people putting up sky scrapers everywhere, yet there is no sewerage system for the waste from the flats. These guys must sit down and let us know what they are doing,” said Bleo Ojok (Kioga).Tom Bagalana (Bunya south) suggested the putting in place of a land tax to discourage people putting up houses in land allocated to industries.