Uganda under fire over Tororo port
Aug 03, 2009
THE second East African Community (EAC) investment conference has ended with Uganda being accused delaying transit goods and promoting of restrictive economic policies at the Tororo dry port.
By Reuben Olita in Nairobi
THE second East African Community (EAC) investment conference has ended with Uganda being accused delaying transit goods and promoting of restrictive economic policies at the Tororo dry port.
The conference held in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, also voiced concern about the high interest rates charged by Ugandan banks. “The country’s monopoly contract of the dry port was against the spirit of the region and should be reviewed,†Alloys Mutabingwa, the EAC deputy secretary general, said in a joint communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.
He added that Uganda had the highest interest rates in the region. The conference was also concerned about Tanzania’s restrictive policies on cross-border mobility of labour.
It was urged to stop discriminating against Burundians entering the country by charging them visa fees and other requirements like being inoculated against yellow fever.
Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, the EAC secretary general, was mandated to follow up the matter with the EAC council of ministers.
The meeting applauded Rwanda’s stand against corruption and asked other members to emulate it if the region is to stamp out the vice.
They said there was need to expose corrupt officials who should be punished promptly. The conference called for the establishment of an EAC Stock Exchange to be expedited to promote capital inflows among partner states.
It also urged Tanzania to liberalise the capital account in order to enable its nationals to participate in the stock markets of other partner states.
The conference also resolved that the challenges of counterfeiting and piracy should be addressed at regional and national levels.
It urged the five governments to partner with the private sector in the fight against the vice.
Meanwhile, Dr. Maggie Kigozi, the Uganda Investment Authority executive director, has been lauded for her role in the growth of the Uganda’s tourism sector. The EAC meeting noted that the sector had improved because of supportive interventions and initiatives that had brought in good tourism products.
Speaking at the function, Kigozi encouraged investors from other EAC states to come and invest in Uganda, saying the country had the best investment climate, with unrivaled incentives.
She, however, said it still faced challenges like poor infrastructure, lack of domestic air transport and shortage of skilled labour.
THE second East African Community (EAC) investment conference has ended with Uganda being accused delaying transit goods and promoting of restrictive economic policies at the Tororo dry port.
The conference held in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, also voiced concern about the high interest rates charged by Ugandan banks. “The country’s monopoly contract of the dry port was against the spirit of the region and should be reviewed,†Alloys Mutabingwa, the EAC deputy secretary general, said in a joint communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.
He added that Uganda had the highest interest rates in the region. The conference was also concerned about Tanzania’s restrictive policies on cross-border mobility of labour.
It was urged to stop discriminating against Burundians entering the country by charging them visa fees and other requirements like being inoculated against yellow fever.
Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, the EAC secretary general, was mandated to follow up the matter with the EAC council of ministers.
The meeting applauded Rwanda’s stand against corruption and asked other members to emulate it if the region is to stamp out the vice.
They said there was need to expose corrupt officials who should be punished promptly. The conference called for the establishment of an EAC Stock Exchange to be expedited to promote capital inflows among partner states.
It also urged Tanzania to liberalise the capital account in order to enable its nationals to participate in the stock markets of other partner states.
The conference also resolved that the challenges of counterfeiting and piracy should be addressed at regional and national levels.
It urged the five governments to partner with the private sector in the fight against the vice.
Meanwhile, Dr. Maggie Kigozi, the Uganda Investment Authority executive director, has been lauded for her role in the growth of the Uganda’s tourism sector. The EAC meeting noted that the sector had improved because of supportive interventions and initiatives that had brought in good tourism products.
Speaking at the function, Kigozi encouraged investors from other EAC states to come and invest in Uganda, saying the country had the best investment climate, with unrivaled incentives.
She, however, said it still faced challenges like poor infrastructure, lack of domestic air transport and shortage of skilled labour.