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MUSEVENI DISPUTES WORLD BANK DATA ON UGANDA MIDDLE-INCOME STATUS

MUSEVENI DISPUTES WORLD BANK DATA ON UGANDA MIDDLE-INCOME STATUS
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Renson Mwakandana

Yoweri Museveni, the president of Uganda, has rejected the latest World Bank report that categorized the country as still being low-income.

According to data from the World Bank for the year ending in 2020–2021, Uganda’s per capita gross national income was $840 per year as of July 1, according to an economic report released on that day.

The President, who insisted that Uganda had achieved middle-income status, questioned the World Bank’s source of information during the introduction of the Public Policy Executive Oversight Forum (Apex platform) event.

“The economy is growing. The other day, I had some arguments about whether we have gone to middle-income or not. We reaffirm. I do not know where the World Bank is getting their data from,” Museveni said.

Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda speaking at the introduction of the Public Policy Executive Oversight Forum (Apex platform) event /Nile Post/

He added: “But our data about our country is that we are now at GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita of $1,046 and that is already in the middle income.”

“ We need to stay there for three more years or go up to be declared officially. We have got some money and the things to do are many. That is why prioritization becomes important.”

Uganda has achieved middle-income status, the president said during the State-of-the-Nation Address in June.

The executive director of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos), Dr. Chris N. Mukiza, stated this week that official statistics for the Financial Year 2021/2022 suggest that Uganda’s GDP per capita is anticipated to be $1,046, which is within the middle-income criteria.

Dr. Chris N. Mukiza, Executive Director of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) /New Vision/

“The reference periods in the two reports are different. Whereas the report by the government was based on the Financial Year 2021/2022, the one by the World Bank was based on the Financial Year 2020/2021. Thus, the per capita income in the two reports refer to two different periods, the government of Uganda report being the most up to date,” Dr. Mukiza stated.

At the same event, Mr. Museveni declared he would employ the Internal Security Organization (ISO) to spy on dishonest government officials and those who were napping at work.

“We have lost time because of people who did not understand our vision, but I am grateful that we have started to move in the right direction. There is no reason why something should go wrong when it is budgeted for,” President Museveni said.

He accused business people and investors of encouraging corruption by allegedly paying off government representatives to support their ventures. According to Mr. Museveni, using ISO to spy on government organizations will expose corruption.

Mr. Peter Ogwang, the state minister for Economic Monitoring in the Office of the President, stated that ISO will provide information on the execution of government projects.

Mr. Peter Ogwang, the state minister for Economic Monitoring in the Office of the President, Uganda /Nile Post/

“You have been seeing me conducting field trips where a number of government officials have been arrested over corruption or shoddy work. All these were on a tip-off from ISO,” Mr. Ogwang said.

The Public Policy Executive Oversight Forum (Apex platform), according to Mr. Yunus Kakande, secretary in the Office of the President, is a public policy management reform approved by the Cabinet in 2018 to play an oversight function of all programs supported by the government.

The platform, overseen by the Office of the President, also aims to expedite the execution of the 23 presidential directives and recommendations.

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