The National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) business philosophy has been made clear to the Arua business community by President Yoweri Museveni.
The President asserts that the NRM’s goal and mission are to teach the populace the path to prosperity, mostly through commercial agriculture, and that in order for entrepreneurs to succeed and continue their enterprises, the government needs assistance in this field.
“Businesspeople shouldn’t limit themselves to trading and value addition and neglect to support those who own land in commercial farming. Why? The President addressed the West Nile business community and investors on Wednesday in Arua. They included small, medium, and large-scale businesses in a variety of sectors, including value addition, manufacturing, the hospitality industry, transportation, and others. “You need more raw materials if you’re in value addition, and secondly you need purchasing power,” he said.
The President, who is touring West Nile to promote investment and wealth creation under the slogan “securing your future through wealth creation and shared prosperity,” told the crowd that all Ugandans must be encouraged to engage in commercial agriculture using the 4-acre model and the seven activities suggested in the NRM Declaration.
The seven activities include; growing coffee, fruits, food crops, zero grazing dairy cattle, poultry, pigs, and fish farming.
“Our Parish Development Model-PDM has all the solutions. Here in West Nile, if people have 4 acres of land, let them practice the 4 acres model plus the 7 activities,” the President noted, adding that this will enable the local people to buy finished products from the businesspeople who will in turn get raw materials from them.
The President ordered the arrest of all those involved in staging multiple roadblocks to collect taxes from businesspeople saying roadblocks were abolished a long time ago.
“We are talking of the Common Market for East Africa which means the free movement of goods within the region. Multiple taxations should stop,” the President warned.
About the roads, the President said that government will ensure there is money to maintain the roads once constructed but also to constantly check on the quality of the constructed roads to avoid shoddy work giving an Example of the road from Karuma to Arua that is under reconstruction.
“My Engineering Unit of State House will come and check and tell me. If we find bad works, we are going to blacklist or even prosecute them,” Gen. Museveni noted.
Responding to the issue of insufficient capital and the high-interest rates on loans from Commercial Banks, the President urged that the Parish Development Model (PDM) will solve this immediately once it is fully understood and supported.
“Don’t take long expensive loans from Commercial Banks. Concentrate on improving the working of the Uganda Development Bank (UDB). Work with your MPs to support me to put more money there. The PDM is helping us to start the Parish Banks which will be receiving 100 Million Shillings each year,” the President emphasized.
The Minister of State for Finance in charge of Investments, Evelyn Anite; informed the President that in line with his directive, land has been secured in different Districts of West Nile to establish Industrial Parks.
The Chairperson of Arua Business Community; Moses Obetya, on behalf of the large-scale business persons in West Nile, appreciated President Museveni for the prevailing peace that has enabled them to do business.
“We used to spend nights on the road from Arua to Kampala and sometimes not being sure of our safety while returning to Arua. Today, this is no longer the case,” Mr Obetya said.
Mr Anguyo John who spoke on behalf of the small-scale businesses called upon the President to intervene in the mismanagement of the Arua Market.
The market is not benefiting the poor people for which it was constructed. He informed the President that up to 750 stalls in the market have not been allocated.
President Museveni revealed that he has already received a full report and those involved including the Chief Administration Officer – CAO and the Town Clerk will have to answer.
“They are finished now,” he said.
The meeting was also attended and addressed by the Vice President, Major (Rtd) Jessica Alupo Rose Epel.
Others were Ministers; Obiga Kania (Urban Development), Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu (Primary Education), Gen. Katumba Wamala (Works & Transport), Dr Chris Baryomunsi (ICT & National Guidance) and Ruth Nankabirwa (Energy & Mineral Development). Others included the NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong, Hon Members of Parliament from Arua and officials from the Uganda Revenue Authority and Uganda Investment Authority.
