Museveni Outlines Economic Agenda

By Okello JabweliPresident Yoweri Museveni has outlined five priority issues he intends to address to boost the economy.In an address marking 16 years of coming to power of the National Resistance Movement, Museveni said while a lot had been achieved in education, health, and infrastructure development and poverty reduction, there were still bottlenecks to be addressed to push the transformation process further.He cited East Africa’s inefficient transport system, the lack of easy access to markets and the indifferent attitude of government bureaucrats towards investors as some of the critical issues that must be resolved immediately. Museveni named other bottlenecks as the lingering insecurity and the inadequate exploration of Uganda’s mineral potential - problems he promised to address seriously. He said the harbours at Mombasa and Dar-es-Salaam, and the railway network connecting the three East African countries have to be made efficient.Museveni criticised politicians and civil servants who frustrate investors. “They don’t know where national income comes from. They think it comes from power. Hon. this, Hon that, permanent this,” Museveni said. “It seems in Africa businessmen are animals. Government officials sit in their air-conditioned offices and don’t even know where the fat salaries they get come from.” The five-hour ceremony at Kololo airstrip was spiced by a rare show of military might. Thousands of personnel and heavy equipment from all UPDF departments were displayed. The machinery included churbies for detecting landmines, tanks, 122mm ballistic missiles, air-defence batteries, katyusha guns, and the deafening MiG-21 fighter jets. The parade featured among others guards from the UPDF Mountain Brigade, the Presidential Protection Unit, infantry, marine, artillery and the airforce. The highlight of the drama was the guard of six police dogs, who in a neat formation with their handlers, marched rhythmically to the tunes of the Army, Police and Prisons brass bands.Ends