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April 2019: Week 4

BRIEFING TO THE MEDIA ON CABINET DECISIONS TAKEN DURING THE CABINET MEETING HELD ON MONDAY 29th APRIL, 2019 AT STATE HOUSE, ENTEBBE

Cabinet Sat on Monday April 29, 2019 at State House Entebbe, and;

  1. Approved Uganda’s Bid to Host the 44th Session of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee Conference in July 2020.

The conference is expected to have the following outcomes:

  • It will provide an opportunity for Uganda’s conservators and heritage practitioners , policy makers and researchers  to foster a free exchange of ideas and provide an appropriate platform to discuss and disseminate new concepts  and advance the preservation and promotion of heritage in Uganda;

 

  • The conference will provide an important platform for policy dialogue and advocacy  on heritage preservation at a global and national level;

 

  • That Uganda will use the conference as an opportunity to showcase  the wonderful reconstruction  works and make a case for it to be lifted from  the World Heritage List  of Sites in Danger back to the prestigious World Heritage List  but  also have an opportunity  to lobby  for the nomination of more sites during the conference;

 

  • The conference will attract experts in the heritage preservation, organizations and business, mass media  and television audiences with the potential  to positively  impact the country’s image  within the region and internationally;
  • Increased Foreign exchange earnings since over 2,500 guests are likely to arrive in the country and each is likely to spend over US$ 900 hence generate an estimated US$ 2.3 million for the country’s economy ;
  • The conference will also boost Uganda’s efforts in marketing the country as a Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism destination in Africa.

 

  1. Approved the proposal to borrow up to USD 456.37 Million(USD four hundred  and fifty-six  million, three hundred seventy thousand) from  China Export  and Import Bank to finance the Upgrade and construction of the National Oil Roads under Package 1: Masindi –Park junction and Tangi junction ParaaBuliisa road ;  Package 2:Hoima –Butiaba-Wanseko Road (111 kms)  and  Package 3:Buhimba –Bulamagi and Bulamagi-Igayaza-Kakumiro roads.

The Objectives of the Project are:

  • To facilitate the efficient development and production of the strategic national oil resources.
  • To add to the network of the road infrastructure required for importation of plant and equipment for production from the seaports and movement of construction materials, workers and consumables from other parts of the country and region.
  1. Approved the proposal to borrow up to US$ 30.0M from the Export  Import Bank of Korea(KEXIM) ; US$ 90.0M from  the Islamic Development Bank( IDB) ; and US$ 15.0M from Arab  Bank for Economic Development  in Africa (BADEA) to support Development  of Irrigation Schemes in Mbale,Budaka,ButalejaUnyama,Namalu and Sipi regions Project.  The objectives of the Project  are;

 

  • To improve household incomes, food security, and climate resilience through sustainable natural resources management and agricultural enterprise development; and

 

  • To consolidate the Government’s efforts towards irrigation development in the country to address water gaps for irrigation and development and emerging related issues.

 

 

Ofwono Opondo

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UGANDA MEDIA CENTRE