President Yoweri Museveni has once again directed that all government departments should purchase electric buses as one of the ways to reduce costs associated with high fuel prices. Mueveni said Uganda is now set to transition from fossil fuels to E-mobility to reduce pollution and offer an organized -cheap transport solution for Kampala city and other urban centers.
Museveni was addressing the 3rd Presidential CEO Bi-Annual CEO Forum at Chobe Safari Lodge on Tuesday. It was held under the theme” Unlocking Private Sector Investment through Strategic Interventions for Socio-Economic Transformation and was aimed at promoting , harnessing and popularizing the Private Sector’s role in Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
President Museveni assured the Chief Executive Officers, (CEOs) that the government is focusing on a spectrum of strategic stimuli to enable them to produce goods and services at a cheaper cost .
“The atmosphere of business in Uganda is influenced by a spectrum of strategic stimuli. The certain stimuli that are crucial for business to succeed. Now these stimuli are many. But I think the NRM is getting them right . They include first of all peace which is very important stimuli . Like this area (Nwoya) was a war zone but you can see what is happening now. We see hotels instead of guns. That stimulis is crucial and its continuing,” Museveni said.
The President also noted that education was another crucial stimuli in driving businesses because investments need an educated workforce and skills to run them.
“That should not be a concern because we already have over 15 million learners in schools. Health is another crucial stimuli for the work force and then you have research. For the NRM we added some strategic stimuli like roads . You can see the roads from Kitgum, Arua, Gulu and the Sudan side. We need to ensure that this country is linked with good tarmacked roads ,” he stated.
“Apart from tarmac and marram roads, I want to emphasize the usage of railway and water transport . “ He also said that government was working around the clock to lower the electricity tariffs to also enable business people lower the cost of production.
The Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury at the ministry of Finance , Planning and Economic Development ,PSST, Mr. Ramathan Ggoobi explained that the ministry had prioritized the capitalization of UDB in order to increase access to capital through the government owned financial entity.
“We have also been looking forward to increase the capital share base of Uganda Development Corporation from Shs. 500bn to Shs. 4 trillion,” Ggoobi said before reporting to the president that local and foreign investors are bitter about the high level of corruption in government procurement processes.
”They say these contracts are rewarded in restaurants to people who offer bribes . What we are doing now is automating the procurement system . By 2025 we want the entire government to procure online. We want the procurement system to work in a transparent manner,”Ggobi stressed.
In his presentation at the forum , the CEO of Kiira Motors Corporation , Uganda’s Automotive Industry flagship , Mr. Paul Isaac Musasizi thanked President Museveni for the guidance and leadership he has offered to ensure that Uganda’s automotive industry becomes a success.
Mr. Musasizi highlighted seve key areas which stakeholders could catalyze for the development of E- mobility in Uganda.
These include Offtake Agreements to guarantee offtake market for buses, bikes and other relevant vehicle segments.” This should include Affordable Finance at UDB for Public Transport Operators to buy buses made in Uganda. Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development should put in place an eMobility energy tariff for public and commercial charging points similar to the tariff for city street light,” Musasizi said.
Other intervention for E-Mobility to takeoff in Uganda will require human capital and Institutional capacity development. The Ministry of Education and Sports should work on specialized curricula on e-Mobility at Higher Education Institutions for Training and Certification of the Mobility Industry Value Chain Professionals and the Ministry of Works and Transport should put in place a skilling and certification for Electric Vehicle Drivers.”
Musasiszi said that the National Planning Authority should carry out a feasibility study on the EV Battery and Energy storage Systems Value Chain to Inform Investment Interventions by government and the Private Sector. “ The Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development should explore and put in place a comprehensive facilitative fiscal package to promote value addition in the nascent Mobility industry for import substitution, supply chain localization and export promotion. “
He added that the Ministry of Work and Transport, KCCA and other City Authorities should promote the shift to Electric Motorcycles and should draw out a clear roadmap to phase out the use of fossil fuel powered motorcycles in city Centres and All MDAs should be required to Integrate e-Mobility in their annual work plans and budgets.
