The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
How far have you gone with the issue of withdrawing licences from investors who are yet to develop the land allocated in the parks?
We have withdrawn 10 licences from investors in Namamve and four in the Soroti Business Park. We have also written to 30 other companies giving them a period of three months to defend themselves as to why they are yet to put up something on that land and if they don’t respond, we shall withdraw it.
The moment an investor gets land in these Parks, they are supposed to develop it within 18 months to show that they are committed to the project. The lease expires every five years. So, I would like to see that the land in these parks is developed.
Infrastructure development remains a big challenge in these parks. How do you plan to address it?
We don’t have enough funds and are pursuing a loan with the Exim Bank India (US155million) to put up facilities. We have been trying to work in a few areas where investors are active; providing electricity, roads, and water selectively but we now want to do it for everyone in these parks.
And what is the progress?
We have just finished terms of reference and now look towards carrying out a feasibility study. We plan to advertise for the feasibility study soon and we proceed because we cannot get the loan without it.
How do you plan to repay the loan?
It is government because we don’t have good income. We used to receive premiums which the president removed arguing that an investor cannot pay dues because he/she is yet to earn income.
You have said on many occasions that you intend to create 1milliion jobs by 2021. Isn’t that being too ambitious?
It is possible because in a quarter we are supposed to have 50,000 jobs. The reason I am thinking that it is possible – off course these are not actual but based on the plan – is that in the past three months, we got about 20,000 jobs.
If we are able to achieve that from investors who just come in this environment, which is not that organised, I believe we can go to another level if we are organised. We only need good investors where a single company can employ thousands.
UIA seems to be focused on industries yet the biggest opportunities for Uganda are in agriculture. What plans do you have for agricultural investors; both domestic and foreign?
I don’t think that is true because some of the industries we are looking at are already in food; for instance, fruit processing firms. I have actually got quite a number of agro-processing firms to the extent that I am getting worried of the capacity of our local farmers to meet their demand. Priority number one is to work with the communities. I don’t want them to come and do farming; they need to contract local farmers to supply them with the raw materials.
Where do you see the level of investment in the country in a few years to come?
I believe that if we soon get organised, well branded, electronic systems up and running, with our staff motivated, investment in this country should improve in the next two years. Foreign Direct Investments should increase by at least 20% compared to where we are now. I believe it is achievable.
There’s an allegation by one of your board members that you had hired a private firm to do UIA’s strategic plan yet the plan already exists. What is your comment on that?
That argument has no life, it is baseless. It is just an individual who wanted to damage and weaken me so that I don’t move on. If there was an issue, then, we should have discussed it internally that running to other government agencies.
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