ENTEBBE, STATE HOUSE: President Yoweri Museveni has directed that the borrowing of funds for national infrastructure development should only be ascribed to railway construction, electricity generation, irrigation schemes, strategic roads’ building and to some aspects of education and health sectors.
“In the education sector, it is the issue of government programme for the implementation of the construction of 280 Secondary Schools at Sub-County level countrywide. At the university level, focus should be on the construction of laboratories first and then main halls, which are optional. Let us do all this with respect to other hard-core issues. I have made this clarification for purposes of streamlining proper national economic growth,” he said.
The President was yesterday speaking during a meeting with the African Development Bank (ADB) Regional Director In-Charge of the Eastern Africa Regional Centre, Mr. Gabriel Negattu, at State House Entebbe in the presence of the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Hon. Matia Kasaija; that of State for Higher Education, Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo and Education Ministry Permanent Secretary, Mr. Alex Kakooza.
The President clarified to the meeting that the construction of the railway is crucial because it will link Uganda to the neighbouring countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan. He also noted that as for electricity generation, the current power supply is not enough because the dynamics of the internal economy in Uganda, consumes it all.
The ADB Regional Director, Mr. Gabriel Negattu on his part, concurred with President Museveni and said that funds ought be borrowed and managed for strategic sectors in the economy. He advised government on the need to think broadly beyond Uganda while planning for infrastructure development.
“Think beyond Uganda and go to East Africa in order to create a centre for development and economic excellence in the region for the future,” he added.
Education Permanent Secretary, Mr. Alex Kakooza revealed that out of the 280 Secondary Schools to be constructed in the country, at between US$60 – US$70 million, 134 will be newly built with the rest requiring only refurbishment.
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