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The Mbarara city south MP Mwine Mpaka chaired the parliamentary committee on Trade, Tourism and Industry on Wednesday, 27 April 2022. The committee sat to hear the case in which a coffee deal was struck under unfair and illegal terms.
During the sitting, the Attorney General told the committee that the contract is legal and binding.
He said he checked the company’s legal standing and he felt convinced that it has proper legal standings with Uganda. Therefore, he said the contract has no breach of any provisions of the law.
Kalungu West County MP Joseph Ssewungu triggered this response after he demanded the Attorney General confirms that the contract is favorable for the people of Uganda.
Minister Kasaija signed this deal on behalf of the government on 10th February 2022 with Uganda Vinci Coffee Company Limited (UVCC) owned by an Italian investor. Consequently, the deal gave UVCC rights to buy Uganda’s coffee for processing. The deal also came with other incentives and concessions extended to the same coffee company.
MP Kasaija, the minister of finance allayed MPs’ fears that the contract only favors the company at the local farmers’ expense. He insisted that they would also benefit from the deal.
“This agreement does not deter other potential investors from investing in value addition. UVCC provides an opportunity for the country to fetch better prices for high-grade coffee. The company aims to establish several hubs across the country intended to enhance traceability of farmers and to eliminate middlemen,” Kasaija said.
Many MPs questioned why the government does not consult well before ever signing any deals. Some expressed distaste for the coffee agreement.
Francis Atoke, the Solicitor General refuted allegations that he said he had never seen or heard anything about UVCC. He also said the comments on the media were exaggerated.
“I cannot do anything without the authorization of the Attorney General. Why would I talk about something I had no consent to talk about? This doesn’t mean that the deal is illegal or wrong in any way,” he said.
The committee is still skeptical about the coffee deal as some documents are still missing.
Check Also;
- Government, Italian Investor In Lawsuit Over Coffee Deal
- Attorney General Defends New Speakership Elects
- Ramathan Ggobi Is Very Big Disappointment; Hon Patrick Nsamba
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![[dropcap]A[/dropcap] section of women in Bugongo parish and Nawangaiza parish in Nawandala Sub County, Iganga District have decried the near-impossible terms set for them to access GROW funds. They have now petitioned their woman member of parliament for Iganga Hon. Kauma Sauda Alibaawo to ask the government for revised terms and conditions. This is to enable them to benefit from the program. The disgruntled women accuse the implementers of the program of charging the money. They are also asking for their land titles and land agreements. They said that such properties are governed by their husbands. These, therefore want the government through their woman MP to intervene and revise the requirements for one to benefit. The women were on Wednesday at Namabwere primary school in Nawandala Sub County. They had gathered in their respective groups to receive over 300 chickens from Hon Alibaawo in her campaign to improve the livelihood of women in Iganga district. Each group was given 50 chicken as start-up capital in their journey to prosperity. Read what some leaders said; Ms Naigambi Lydia from Nawandala Trading Centre says, “They solicited money from us through opening bank accounts and depositing Shs80,000. They also asked for land titles and land agreements from us yet we don’t have such things. I was informed that I needed to have a business with a capital of Shs4m yet my capital was very small.” The chairperson Kisoboka Saving Group in Nawandala Ms. Nakagolo Faith said they were not able to join the program. This is given the many conditions attached. She also asked their woman MP to raise their concerns to the relevant offices. The MP condemned the mode of implementation of the program. She cited that it has turned to benefit the well-off class of women other than the intended group. She further asked the government to intervene saying the current strings attached to the programme are very tight to accommodate a common woman. GROW project is a Government of Uganda initiative that arose out of the need to respond to the needs of women entrepreneurs. This is especially those who want to grow their businesses, sustain their self-employment and create more jobs. Check Also; Iganga District NRM Leaders Urge Museveni To Fulfill Election Promises Of 2021 International Women's Day: Celebrating Progress Towards Equality](https://i0.wp.com/newslexpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Iganga-women-decry-tough-terms-to-access-GROW-funds-e1731738339732.jpg?resize=300%2C160&ssl=1)
