The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Institution of Surveyors of Uganda has set up a tele-platform to isolate professional surveyors from impostors and fraudsters it accuses of messing up the sector.
The platform uses free Unstructured Supplementary Service Data also known as USSD codes on all mobile telecommunications Networks in Uganda. Mobile phone users are advised to Press *284*20# on all Mobile Networks and follow the prompts to check whether the surveyor they are contracting is registered or not.
Dr. Ronald Ssengendo, the President of the Institution of Surveyors of Uganda, says they receive and handle many cases of people who have been defrauded by imposters.
Dr. Ssengendo explained to Uganda Radio Network how the tele-platform works.
In Addition to the tele-platform, the Institution has jointly drafted four bills with the Lands Housing and Urban Development Ministry aimed at regulating the survey Profession in Uganda.
The bills are for repealing the old Survey Act of 1939 and the Surveyor’s Registration Act of 1974 while the third bill seeks to streamline the conduct of Survey and Mapping in the country as well as Land valuation.
Dr. Ronald Ssengendo, the President of the Institution of Surveyors of Uganda says the sector requires new sets of laws to regulate the entry of new technologies, eliminate quacks and guide the absorption of newly trained professionals.
The Institution of Surveyors of Uganda hopes the Parliament will debate and pass the Bills into laws next year. John Musungu, a Veteran Surveyor, says amendments to the Survey Act of 1939 should have been prioritized in the past to rid the sector of fraudsters.
Musungu says strong regulation should be complemented with setting up a survey technology calibration center. Currently, calibration of Survey equipment is conducted by private players.
It is one of the many requirements government insists on when awarding Roads and Dam Construction Projects to Surveyors in the country.
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