Parliament of Uganda

Deputy Speaker @Thomas_Tayebwa , also President of the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States Parliamentary Assembly, is chairing the 5th Meeting of the Bureau of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels City, Belgium. High on today’s agenda are: the consideration of the draft Rules of Procedure of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly. ​Proposals for three OACPS working groups: Sevilla Conference on Financing for Development, Nice Oceans Conference, and Critical Raw Materials. ​The draft agenda for the 65th Session of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly due to take place on Sunday and ​the draft programme and agenda for the 2nd Session of the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on Monday.

Deputy Speaker @Thomas_Tayebwa has briefed parliamentarians from the Pacific region on proposed reforms to strengthen the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Parliamentary Assembly, improve its effectiveness and give the three regional groups a stronger voice. Tayebwa, who also serves as President of the OACPS and Co-President of the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly presented proposals among which is the need for the assembly to achieve greater financial independence by establishing a common fund supported by contributions from its three regions. Tayebwa said that during earlier discussions with African and Caribbean groups, members had raised concerns about the assembly’s reliance on external financing. Other proposed reforms include strengthening regional representation in the OACPS leadership, improving the work of committees and working groups, and expanding engagement with other parliamentary institutions.

#Earlier: Speaker @ObothOboth has pledged to push for fast tracking of World Bank funded projects that have stalled in government approval and procurement processes. Meeting the Bank Country manager, Dr Francisca Ayodeji Akala, Oboth called on the Bank to keep offering affordable financing. Akala had expressed concerns with delays in approvals noting that some procurement processes take up to 600 days.

Speaker @ObothOboth exits the Chambers after adjournment of #PlenaryUg to Tuesday at 2pm.

Speaker @ObothOboth interacts with MPs upon adjournment of #PlenaryUg

Speaker @ObothOboth adjourns House to Tuesday, 2pm. #PlenaryUg

Speaker @ObothOboth puts the question for house to pass the Hon Rwashande motion, and the motion has been carried. #PlenaryUg

MPs follow House sitting. #PlenaryUg is now processing MP Rwashande’s motion on financing small scale industrial startups of youth graduating from the industrial skilling hubs, to create job opportunities.

The Hon Brig Gen (Rtd) Emmanuel Rwashande. #PlenaryUg

Seconding MP Rwashande’s motion, MP John Bosco Kariisa says it cannot be expected of young trainees to start industries and favourably compete with established, capital intensive competitors with adequate experience. He says the motion conduces to softening the ground for newcomer small scale industrialists. #PlenaryUg

MP Rwashande’s motion further urges Government to ease access to affordable credit from the Uganda Development Bank for small industrialists. The goal, he says, is more jobs, value addition, local production and reduced dependence on imports. #PlenaryUg

MP Rwashande urges government to recapitalise the Hub SACCOs and give tax holidays and incentives to small-scale operators. It also seeks tax relief for Ugandans importing small-scale manufacturing equipment. #PlenaryUg

MP Rwashande argues that there is need to turn skills into jobs by helping Presidential Skilling Hub graduates start small-scale industries. Many have training, he says, but lack capital, tools and equipment to set up sustainable businesses. #PlenaryUg

MP Emmanuel Rwashande is moving a motion urging government to help small-scale industries grow by funding Skilling Hub SACCOs, giving tax breaks, cutting taxes on imported manufacturing equipment, and easing access to Uganda Development Bank loans. #PlenaryUg

#PlenaryUg in pictures this evening.

MP Kimosho : The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) must strengthen regulatory accountability and reliable performance reporting by establishing a reconciled national baseline for outages and losses. ERA must separate generation and transmission interruptions from distribution faults, and independently verify whether investments deliver service improvements. #PlenaryUg

The Hon Kimosho led Committee on Natural Resources proposes that the Energy Ministry must integrate generation, transmission and distribution planning so UEGCL, UETCL and UEDCL work on one coordinated schedule. Priority must go to overloaded supply points, metropolitan constraints, and radial routes without alternative supply. #PlenaryUg

MP Kimosho on power outages in the country: Government should find ways to finance and execute a multi-year network recovery programme to clear the inherited distribution investment backlog. The programme must be costed, time-bound and identify funding sources, and prioritise overloaded transformers, feeders. #PlenaryUg

MP Dan Kimosho’s report on persistent power outages recommends that government must secure adequate and reliable electricity supply through a verified supply-security assessment within 30 days. The assessment must cover generation, demand, reserves and maintenance, and prioritise safe restoration of Karuma Units 2 and 5. #PlenaryUg

House is now receiving a report from the Committee on Natural Resource - on the persistent power outages in the country. #PlenaryUg