Over 30 presidents to visit Uganda June
Mar 26, 2004
ABOUT 30 heads of state and government are coming to Uganda in June to attend the Common Market for Eastern and South Africa (COMESA) summit
By Grace Matsiko
ABOUT 30 heads of state and government are coming to Uganda in June to attend the Common Market for Eastern and South Africa (COMESA) summit.
The summit is expected to cost about sh2.5b to the Government, according to the permanent secretary Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry, Sam Nahamya. He was speaking at a weekly government briefing at the President’s Office Nakasero on Wednesday.
The briefing, coordinated by state minister for information Dr. James Nsaba Buturo , was attended by COMESA assistant secretary general Sindiso Ngwenya, state minister for water, Maria Mutagamba and Police spokesman Asuman Mugenyi.
“We expect about 30 heads of state and governments. This is going to be a big occasion for Uganda†Nahamya said. He said in all 600 delegates are expected.
Ngwenya said the 9th summit of the COMESA, a grouping of 20 countries, will be preceded by a meeting of the administrative and budgetary committee on May, 30, then the intergovernmental committee the next day, followed by a committee on peace and security comprising ministers of foreign affairs and a business forum.
He said Uganda would assume the chairmanship of COMESA from Sudan for the period 2004 to 2005. “AGOA (African Growth Opportunities Act) will be high on the agenda,†Ngwenya said.
He regretted that whereas the personal wealth of the Microsoft owner Bill Gates stands at US$150b, COMESA member states’ Gross Domestic Product with a population of 400m is a paltry US$190b.
Ngwenya said he was impressed by Uganda’s development since the country held the Preferential Trade Area (now COMESA) in 1987 when visiting ministers were forced to use buckets to shower as a result of shortage of water in hotels.
ABOUT 30 heads of state and government are coming to Uganda in June to attend the Common Market for Eastern and South Africa (COMESA) summit.
The summit is expected to cost about sh2.5b to the Government, according to the permanent secretary Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry, Sam Nahamya. He was speaking at a weekly government briefing at the President’s Office Nakasero on Wednesday.
The briefing, coordinated by state minister for information Dr. James Nsaba Buturo , was attended by COMESA assistant secretary general Sindiso Ngwenya, state minister for water, Maria Mutagamba and Police spokesman Asuman Mugenyi.
“We expect about 30 heads of state and governments. This is going to be a big occasion for Uganda†Nahamya said. He said in all 600 delegates are expected.
Ngwenya said the 9th summit of the COMESA, a grouping of 20 countries, will be preceded by a meeting of the administrative and budgetary committee on May, 30, then the intergovernmental committee the next day, followed by a committee on peace and security comprising ministers of foreign affairs and a business forum.
He said Uganda would assume the chairmanship of COMESA from Sudan for the period 2004 to 2005. “AGOA (African Growth Opportunities Act) will be high on the agenda,†Ngwenya said.
He regretted that whereas the personal wealth of the Microsoft owner Bill Gates stands at US$150b, COMESA member states’ Gross Domestic Product with a population of 400m is a paltry US$190b.
Ngwenya said he was impressed by Uganda’s development since the country held the Preferential Trade Area (now COMESA) in 1987 when visiting ministers were forced to use buckets to shower as a result of shortage of water in hotels.