Educate the public about shares!

SIR— The disappointment expressed by Mr C. Ruhemba The New Vision of January 14, a shareholder in BAT cul, goes a long way to show the lack of awareness about the operations of the stock markets.This short-coming is a major reason why the U.S.E as well as most bourse across Africa fail to stimulate their economies and achieve substantial captivation. Part of the blame for our appaling savings culture goes to the level of ignorance about the financial markets.It is true our bourse is still at infantry (with a modest 14 companies listed, the Botswana a stock exchange dwarfs the USE that has just 3). We could however make significant progress by educating Ugandans intensively on dividends and trading.Our policy makers also need to make a deliberate attempt to ensure we develop a sound banking system which is a backbone of the financial markets.It is not far-fetched to imagine the American scenario currently, where half of all house holds own stocks. The problem of Ugandans is not the low income or lack of money. Even India and China are law income. It is common knowledge that emergent economies in East Asia propelled themselves to remarkable heights on the back of high domestic savings which were well invested.Certainly, the stock exchange is an exciting market. The joy of buying shares while prices rally or disposing just before they crash, is one of the best a person can have with their clothes on!David D. R. RuvaKampala