‘Produce Policy Paper On Gmos, Speaker Tells Minister Ssebunya

Feb 19, 2004

THE Speaker, Edward Ssekandi, has directed agriculture state minister Kibirige Ssebunya to present to Parliament a policy paper on the status of generically-modified foods (GMOs) in the country.

By Hamis Kaheru and Milton Olupot
THE Speaker, Edward Ssekandi, has directed agriculture state minister Kibirige Ssebunya to present to Parliament a policy paper on the status of generically-modified foods (GMOs) in the country.
Yesterday’s directive follows Ssebunya’s revelation that the Government had no mechanism of detecting the entry or use of GMOs in the country.
Ssebunya was reacting to concerns from MPs that farmers had been allowed to access GMO seeds without any prior impact assessment.
The MPs had put him to task to explain why he was claiming that there were no GMOs in Uganda while the line minister, Dr Kisamba Mugerwa, last year GMOs were being sold in supermarkets.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary finance committee has queried the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ sh32b supplementary expenditure, reports Joyce Namutebi.
Committee chairperson Maj. Bright Rwamirama said the figure was five times the original budget. The committee was yesterday scrutinising the supplementary schedule for financial year 2003/2004.
The Ministry of Finance is seeking parliamentary approval of supplementary expenditure of over sh140.8b.
Musumba said sh24b was required to facilitate auxiliary forces in war-affected areas.
He said sh4.47b was needed to facilitate the procurement of mambas (battle tanks) to protect the delivery of World Food Programme supplies in the areas.
However, MPs said the item should under the defence ministry budget line.
Ends

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