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Dozens of Uganda parastatals targeted in reforms

Tuesday September 11 2018
RVR UG

A Rift Valley Railways train wagon at the Kampala station. The Uganda Railways Corporation is one of the state-run agencies to undergo restructuring. FILE PHOTO | MONITOR

By MONITOR

Uganda plans to scrap dozens of its state-owned organisation in reforms aimed at preventing duplication of roles and wastage of public resources.

A Cabinet meeting chaired by President Yoweri Museveni on Monday agreed to dissolve some parastatals and merge others.

The reforms kicked off in July last year after the President wrote to the Vice President Edward Ssekandi and Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda directing them to spearhead review of government agencies that he said had become a burden to taxpayers.

“Why have an agency when you have a department of government dealing with the same area of responsibility? Why have an Authority when you have department of government dealing with the same area of responsibility? Why have Boards for money-consuming units rather than money generating units?” he posed in his letter.

Sources close to the Cabinet discussions said affected agencies will either be merged or reverted to parent ministry as a subordinate entities.

According to one source, the Justice Ministry is preparing an omnibus Bill to be introduced in Parliament, perhaps as early as next week, to repeal and replace laws establishing the agencies that the Cabinet decided to dissolve or merge.

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The fate of the employees remains uncertain with top officials in the agencies likely the first to lose their jobs.

Frank Tumwebaze, the Information Minister and Government spokesman, could not be reached for comment on the Cabinet decision.

In a tweet, the minister has said that the Cabinet “discussed and took decisions on some items including the restructuring of government agencies”.

Mr Tumwebaze is expected to give a press briefing on the government's reorganisation plan on Tuesday.

Some of the state corporations that have been spared the restructuring are:

  • Kampala Capital City Authority
  • Uganda Communications Commission
  • Uganda National Bureau of Standards
  • Uganda Bureau of Statistics
  • National Medical Stores

Parastatals in energy, roads and agriculture will now become departments under their respective line ministries.

Here is a list of the corporations facing closure or will be reverted to ministries.

Transport

  • Uganda National Roads Authority 
  • Uganda Road Fund
  • Uganda Railways Corporation 
  • Transport Licensing Board

Electricity

  • Uganda Electricity Generation Co Limited 
  • Uganda Electricity Transmission Co Limited
  • Uganda Electricity Distribution Co Limited 
  • Rural Electrification Agency

Agriculture

  • National Agricultural Advisory Services
  • Uganda Trypanosomiasis Control Council
  • Dairy Development Authority
  • Uganda Coffee Development Authority 
  • Cotton Development Organisation

Finance

  • Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board
  • Departed Asians Properties Custodian Board

Justice

  • Uganda Registration Services Bureau

Internal Affairs

  • National Identification and Registration Authority
  • NGO Bureau

ICT

  • National Information Technology Authority

Health

  • Uganda Aids Commission
  • National Drug Authority
  • Uganda Blood Transfusion Services

Trade and Industry

  • Uganda Industrial Research Institute 

Science, Technology and Innovation

  • Uganda National Council for Science and Technology

Land

  • Uganda Land Commission
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