The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Sironko, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has called upon African countries to join efforts in fostering the economic growth and development of the region.
The president said that through the economic unity of the continent, many countries will stop being bullied by the European giants and America’s, adding that Africa did not start with colonialism.
Museveni said African countries can only sustain themselves through boosting production and providing a market for finished products. He added that through the continental Free Trade Area-CFTA, countries will be able to negotiate with the bigger European countries to foster prosperity for the Africans.
He was speaking during independence day celebrations in Sironko district this afternoon. The celebrations which were celebrated on Wednesday were marked under the theme “Consolidation of National Unity, Security, Freedom and Prosperity.
On Uganda’s economy, the President emphasized the mechanization of agriculture and that people should stop producing for home consumption. “Families working for consumption should wake up and begin working for production,” Museveni said.
He said that the government has concentrated on the three cost pushers of production like transport, electricity and capitalizing Uganda Development Bank to improve locally manufactured goods.
Museveni said the country still faces challenges of power outages, transport and the high bank interest rates, but the government has consolidated much efforts in the transport sector to put up more good roads in all corners of the country.
He cited roads such as the Moroto Kidepo to South Sudan, Mbale-Namagumba- Budadiri road in Sironko will also be worked on and the roads in the tourism areas to enable the economy to grow with double digits.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was a special guest at the celebrations said that through the solidarity and/ support from the sister African countries like Uganda, Zimbabwe has managed to survive the sanctions put on it for the last 20 years. He said that the country is learning from Uganda being older than them in terms of independence and that his coming is aimed at consolidating and deepening the working relationship between the two countries.
Sironko Woman Member of Parliament Florence Nambozo asked the president to work on the roads in the mountains to foster tourism in the areas which are badly hit by poor transport.
******
URN
