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Parliament has okayed a request by the government to borrow Shs 1.2 trillion to upgrade national roads across the country. The money is to be borrowed from the Islamic Development Bank, and the OPEC Fund for International Development.
MPs approved the request during a plenary sitting chaired by speaker Anita Among on Wednesday.
The funds will facilitate the rehabilitation of the Masindi port bridge designed to last for 100 years. Katine-Ochero road, Kiruhura-Bwizi-Rwamwanja-Kahunge road. And Mpara-Bwizi road, each designed to last for 20 years.
Robert Migadde, national economy committee deputy chairperson presented an assessment report of the loan request. He stated that as much as Uganda’s public debt remains within sustainable levels, the country is rated at moderate risk of debt distress.
The committee recommended that the ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development renegotiates the risk premium of the loan. This is to a lower rate and also have it fixed for the entire debt servicing period.
Further, the committee also implored ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to observe strict project designs before sourcing for money. This is to minimize project delays by effectively compensating project-affected persons (PAPs) under the Upgrading of National Roads Project.
The government is expected to provide Shs 83.388 billion for land acquisition. The MPs also authorized the government to refinance the reconstruction, rehabilitation, and upgrade of major roads.
This is especially in the Masaka and Ntungamo districts at Shs 691.6 billion. Under the prefinancing agreement, 89.5km of Masaka-Mutukula road will be reconstructed. 11km of Nyendo-Villa Maria road will also be rehabilitated.
Then then 3.5km of access roads to Masaka UPDF barracks and to Masaka Industrial Park will be upgraded. Meanwhile, 28.5km of Kikagati-Kafunjo road will be improved.
In a committee report on the prefinancing proposal, it was observed that the unit cost of a road under the project is valued at Shs 5.08 billion per kilometer.
This is as compared to Shs 3.38 billion [for upgrading] as indicated under the annual budget performance report for the financial year 2022/2023.
The approval comes after parliament, last week approved an earlier request by the government to borrow another Shs 1.807 trillion from the Export-Import Bank of China and World Bank to finance National Internet Fiber and the Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation projects.
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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)
