Uganda’s minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Matia Kasaija, has today Thursday boycotted his supposedly meeting with legislators, who subscribe to the Committee for State Agencies and Statutory Enterprises (COSASE).
Mr. Kasaija was supposed to meet COSASE members at the sidelines of parliament today morning, to throw more light on the mystery sorrounding the rumoured seizure of Entebbe International Airport by Chinese Exim bank.
His failure to show up raised more suspicion and exarcarbated tension and mystery sorrounding the whole controversy, due to the fact that he was expected to clear the air on alledged, or pending seizure of Uganda’s only international airport.
The minister was expected to provide more details of the 2015 deal negotiated with Chisese runners of Exim bank, regarding the securing of a USD 207 million loan to revamp the airport.
In 2015, the government of Uganda, represented by the Civil Aviation Authority and Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, signed an agreement with Export-Import bank of China (EXIM), to borrow a USD 207 million on a two percent disbursement.
However, financial experts recently revealed that Uganda’s acceptance to enter such a deal, and sign an agreement with chinese money lenders, whose terms are largely unfair to the former, means the country surrendered its only international airport.
The Minister was expected to provide assurance to Ugandans, that the airport will not be taken over by China. However his decision to stay away raised serious concern.
Legislators were left furious and dissatsified with the minister’s action, who did not even care to give any reason for his failure to turn up.
Speaking to the press today morning at parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, who heads the Committee, decried the minister’s “unprofessional” conduct and pledged to take serious action against him.
The Nakawa west legislator contended that since peaceful initiatives to meet the finance minister had failed, the committe unanimously decided to issue him summons to compel him to show up without any slightest hesitation.
He expressed serious concern and disappointment with the minister’s actions, saying that committee members waited for him to show up, but to no avail.
“No one forced Mr. Kasaija to become finance minister. It was his own choice. Therefore he has to execute his roles effectively………what we are going to do because we served him a letter calling him peacefuly, now we are going to serve him with summons because as a committee, we have such authority,” remarked Mr. Ssenyonyi.
“We never wanted this matter to progress to this stage, but thats what we are going to do. We can even decide to send police, to have him arrested and brought before the committe. These matters are well known to the minister. He signed the said agreement, and therefore he should come and tell the nation whats going on,” he argued.
It should be noted that in March this year, the government of Uganda sent experts to Beijing to re-negotiate the agreement signed in 2015, so as to change some clauses deemed to land the country into serious trouble, leading to loss of the airport.
However, these officials returned with sad news of not having achieved a breakthrough, after the proposals were rejected by Exim bank officials in China.
While appearing before COSASE, the Attorney General Kilyowa Kiwanuka defused public tension and worries over the matter, when he confirmed that the airport would not be seized by China.
This did not take away the skeptcisms and consternation among the legislators, who decided to invite the finance minister to provide final clarifications on the matter, since he was a signatory to the said agreement.
A furious Ssenyonyi articulated that he wanted the minister himself to appear before the committee and tell Ugandans how far the progression of such negotiations has reached, citing that the minister intentionally boycotted the planned meeting.
“We have discovered, that the minister failed to appear before the committee, out of fear. He is fearing to come and provide clear explainations to these issues, because many Ugandans are out there frozen with fear, and worried that their airport will soon be seized by China,” he said.
“As a minister, you are supposed to publicly declare that government is trying so hard to make sure the airport is retained, much as the agreement was not balanced to favour Uganda.”
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