Reforms needed in works ministry
Jun 16, 2008
THE Government definitely got its priorities right when it decided to focus on roads. The budget for the next financial year, which was announced last Thursday, has allocated an astounding sh1.1 trillion to the sector.
THE Government definitely got its priorities right when it decided to focus on roads. The budget for the next financial year, which was announced last Thursday, has allocated an astounding sh1.1 trillion to the sector.
Projects planned include construction of the Northern Transport Corridor, a dual carriageway linking Busia/Malaba at the Kenyan border to Katuna at the Rwandan border. It also includes construction, upgrading and rehabilitation of 20 major roads throughout the country.
No need to argue the importance of infrastructure in a landlocked country like Uganda. Roads constitute the bedrock of the economy, the basic requirement for agriculture, trade, tourism and industry. This newspaper, only two days before the budget was announced, decried the deadly effect of potholes.
Nevertheless, the transporters are skeptical. They believe that, no matter the amount of money poured into the sector, it will not have any tangible results as long as the works ministry is not reformed.
Delayed donor funding might be to blame for some of the woes the ministry is facing. But lack of monitoring, corruption and impunity certainly also contribute to the appalling state of our roads.
“We must increase efficiency and effectiveness in the implementation of roads projects, complete projects in a reasonable time and do so at a fair and competitive cost,†finance minister Suruma said during the budget reading.
Before touching the sh1.1 trillion, the Ministry of Works should come up with a concrete paper on how it plans to do exactly that.
More is needed to convince the general public that, a year from now, Uganda’s major roads will have been transformed into highways of international standards, free of deadly potholes.
Projects planned include construction of the Northern Transport Corridor, a dual carriageway linking Busia/Malaba at the Kenyan border to Katuna at the Rwandan border. It also includes construction, upgrading and rehabilitation of 20 major roads throughout the country.
No need to argue the importance of infrastructure in a landlocked country like Uganda. Roads constitute the bedrock of the economy, the basic requirement for agriculture, trade, tourism and industry. This newspaper, only two days before the budget was announced, decried the deadly effect of potholes.
Nevertheless, the transporters are skeptical. They believe that, no matter the amount of money poured into the sector, it will not have any tangible results as long as the works ministry is not reformed.
Delayed donor funding might be to blame for some of the woes the ministry is facing. But lack of monitoring, corruption and impunity certainly also contribute to the appalling state of our roads.
“We must increase efficiency and effectiveness in the implementation of roads projects, complete projects in a reasonable time and do so at a fair and competitive cost,†finance minister Suruma said during the budget reading.
Before touching the sh1.1 trillion, the Ministry of Works should come up with a concrete paper on how it plans to do exactly that.
More is needed to convince the general public that, a year from now, Uganda’s major roads will have been transformed into highways of international standards, free of deadly potholes.