The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Parliament National Economy Committee is expected in a few days to start interfacing with sections of the Private Sector on the Covid-19 overall impact on the economy and among others discuss possibilities for a rescue package to Ugandans.
Speaker Rebecca Kadaga directed the committee on Tuesday afternoon to immediately pick interest in the matter saying that several businesses have collapsed since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Kadaga made the statement while delivering her communication to Members of Parliament in the afternoon sitting. She directed Parliament’s National Economy Committee to invite the Private Sector and other stakeholders so that the country kick-starts a discussion on how it will survive even after the pandemic.
“The pandemic is new, no one was ready for it and no one has experience for it. So all of us including the developed countries are grappling to find solutions on the way forward,” said Kadaga.
The Speaker’s statement follows a call from a section of MPs who want Ugandans, especially those who lost jobs or going through hardship during the current lockdown to be able to access their savings from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The plea is embedded in a motion yet to be presented by Parliament by Busongora North MP William Nzoghu. The MP wants government to allow NSSF contributors to access 20 percent of their savings during the period when the country is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Speaker also appealed to the Inter-religious Council of Uganda to intensify advocacy for peace and unity in families during the COVID-19 lockdown where families are finding it difficult to co-exist.
Speaking about the general impact of CCOVID-19, Kadaga noted that Gender Based Violence (GBV) was a big problem for the country citing that in April alone, 3,260 cases were reported to the police and that many other cases go without reporting.
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