Museveni orders on border delays
Nov 01, 2008
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has directed Uganda Revenue Authority and Resident District commissioners of Tororo and Busia to submit full reports to him by Monday next week explaining the delays in the clearing of cargo at the border customs posts.
By Moses Nampala
in Tororo
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has directed Uganda Revenue Authority and Resident District commissioners of Tororo and Busia to submit full reports to him by Monday next week explaining the delays in the clearing of cargo at the border customs posts.
The President issued the directive to the Commissioner General of the URA, Allen Kagina and RDC Mpimbaza Hashaka during a meeting he held at Port villa Hotel at Malaba on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by the Ministers of Works, John Nasasira, Trade, Janat Mukwaya, State ministers Prof. Ssemakula Kiwanuka (Investment) and Kagimu Kiwanuka (Economic monitoring) as well as Kagina and RDC Mpimbaza Hashaka. The President summoned the ministers when he was in Nairobi for the extra-ordinary summit of the IGAD.
Prior to the meeting, the President stopped at the border post where an excited crowd of the residents, trailer drivers and traders.
Museveni addressed the gathering and said he had noticed that there was a problem relating to the clearance of cargo trucks at Malaba.
“When I was traveling to Nairobi on Monday, I sought audience with the truck drivers who told me about the pathetic state of the packing yard as well as delays in clearing of the cargo,†he said.
He further revealed that when he crossed into Kenya, he saw a long queue of trailers waiting to be cleared.
“I have evaluated the situation at both the Ugandan side of the border and the Kenyan side and I have established that the problem is on the Uganda side. Those responsible for it will be punished,†the President warned.
Museveni noted that doing business requires a lot of swiftness. He gave example of fishmongers and explained that they are nicknamed “Mali Egenya†(Any delay means loss of money) because if the fish do not get to the market quickly, it rots and results into losses.
The President said there was urgent need to ensure clearance of the cargo at the border customs post is done fast. Delays also cause revenue losses to the country, he added.
“We are not going to allow a situation where things delay at the border point,†the President added.
“I learnt of the problem before I came here for the trip and I decided to travel by road though Malaba to assess the situation myself,†the President said.
During the meeting, Kagina told the President that they had already worked out a solution for the problem. She said they were working with the works ministry to fix the parking yard.
However, the Tororo RDC Mpimbaza Hashaka reportedly told the President that the URA was to blame for the problems at the border. He argued that URA was not taking any serious action.
in Tororo
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has directed Uganda Revenue Authority and Resident District commissioners of Tororo and Busia to submit full reports to him by Monday next week explaining the delays in the clearing of cargo at the border customs posts.
The President issued the directive to the Commissioner General of the URA, Allen Kagina and RDC Mpimbaza Hashaka during a meeting he held at Port villa Hotel at Malaba on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by the Ministers of Works, John Nasasira, Trade, Janat Mukwaya, State ministers Prof. Ssemakula Kiwanuka (Investment) and Kagimu Kiwanuka (Economic monitoring) as well as Kagina and RDC Mpimbaza Hashaka. The President summoned the ministers when he was in Nairobi for the extra-ordinary summit of the IGAD.
Prior to the meeting, the President stopped at the border post where an excited crowd of the residents, trailer drivers and traders.
Museveni addressed the gathering and said he had noticed that there was a problem relating to the clearance of cargo trucks at Malaba.
“When I was traveling to Nairobi on Monday, I sought audience with the truck drivers who told me about the pathetic state of the packing yard as well as delays in clearing of the cargo,†he said.
He further revealed that when he crossed into Kenya, he saw a long queue of trailers waiting to be cleared.
“I have evaluated the situation at both the Ugandan side of the border and the Kenyan side and I have established that the problem is on the Uganda side. Those responsible for it will be punished,†the President warned.
Museveni noted that doing business requires a lot of swiftness. He gave example of fishmongers and explained that they are nicknamed “Mali Egenya†(Any delay means loss of money) because if the fish do not get to the market quickly, it rots and results into losses.
The President said there was urgent need to ensure clearance of the cargo at the border customs post is done fast. Delays also cause revenue losses to the country, he added.
“We are not going to allow a situation where things delay at the border point,†the President added.
“I learnt of the problem before I came here for the trip and I decided to travel by road though Malaba to assess the situation myself,†the President said.
During the meeting, Kagina told the President that they had already worked out a solution for the problem. She said they were working with the works ministry to fix the parking yard.
However, the Tororo RDC Mpimbaza Hashaka reportedly told the President that the URA was to blame for the problems at the border. He argued that URA was not taking any serious action.