April 2023 – Prime Time Communications

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch Should we be worried about ChatGPT?

Should we be worried about ChatGPT? By Denis Jjuuko At the turn of the new millennium, talk started about the end of the world. Computers, as intelligent as they had been billed for decades, would fail a simple arithmetic. We were told computers wouldn’t be able to change from 1999 to the year 2000. Everyone was worried. Those who had money in banks were scared. Their money would become obsolete. Those who are religious said it would be the end of the world. Jesus was coming back, finally! The panic towards the new year 2000 was surreal. Everyone wanted to do something before the end of time — before the world comes to an end due to failures in computers to recognize a year that starts with the number 2. Government agencies quickly set up Y2K Taskforces to ensure everything was compliant. Y2K stood for Year 2000. On 31 December 1999, everyone waited with abated breath the end of the world. Nothing happened. Computers or whoever writes the codes on which they run simply turned one into two, I guess. The world disruption that had been predicted didn’t happen. Twenty-three years later, the world or at least some people are panicking again. Apparently, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies originally developed in the 1960s have matured so much that humans will no longer be needed. Jobs will no longer be there. AI will do everything a human being can do. This has been a result of some early successes of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence designed by OpenAI, an American company that mimics human being. ChatGPT, which stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer can write letters, essays, poems, software code, academic papers, and recipes needed to prepare Luwombo or Katogo and such other things at the level similar to human beings but based on what human beings have been able to write from time to time and stored on the internet. To be honest, this isn’t entirely new. If for example you own an iPhone and you let kids once in a while play with it, you know how they love asking Siri questions and the answers it gives them. ChatGPT isn’t very different from Siri (even though more powerful with ability to write where Siri is voice based). Since many of the people reading this have access to Siri or Amazon’s Alexa, have they yet replaced you yet at work? Let us put AI or robotics in context in relation to other technologies of the past. Banks like UCB employed many people whose jobs were to count and verify money. It was a tedious task with many errors leading to losses. This army of money checkers or counters were replaced by a machine you see today that counts money faster and more accurately. However, this money counting machine that your bank uses today doesn’t have the ability to feed itself with the different money denominations even though it can detect that a Shs20,000 note has been included among the Shs50,000 notes and will reject it. The human cashier must fill it with the right denominations for it to count. And banks still employ money verifiers today known as vote custodians. ChatGPT and all the other bots being heralded as a replacement of humans will still, like the money counting machines, be fed by humans. Without humans, artificial intelligence won’t be able to work. But will artificial intelligence replace some jobs? Lawyers, journalists, song writers, receptionists, proof readers, accountants, couriers, customer service executives and such other jobs have been listed as the first ones that AI will replace. Some have even mentioned factory workers where robots have been in use for decades now. The truth is that some jobs which don’t evolve will be replaced but not all of them. Lawyers or journalists who don’t work with AI may be replaced. Money checkers and counters who didn’t evolve to new realities were replaced. Those who pivoted to other work within the banking sector remain in jobs. When desktop computers replaced typewriters, secretaries and personal assistants who didn’t evolve to new realities were replaced. Artificial intelligence or robotics won’t replace humans, people just need to work with the new reality as secretaries did. Already ChatGPT has shown that it doesn’t have a correct answer for everything. Asked about who was the first woman president of the USA, ChatGPT named Hillary Rodham Clinton and went ahead to type her profile. The USA has never had a woman president. That limitation shows that human beings will always have a role. Those in countries like Uganda still have lots of opportunities with or without AI. AI will make our world better no doubt but it won’t contextualize why Philly Lutaaya is heads and shoulders above of Kenzo even when Kenzo’s bubblegum music has more views on YouTube. However, whoever is writing the story will benefit from AI while writing it. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com internet

April 14, 2023

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch Investment opportunities as result of flourishing condo economy

Investment opportunities as result of flourishing condo economy By Denis Jjuuko If you still visit the branch of a commercial bank or frequent most of Kampala’s shopping malls where the ‘middle and upper’ classes go, you will be accosted by young people with brochures and flyers sitting beside a miniature physical model of a building. They are usually selling houses known as condominium units or condos. Condominium houses is where several people own a small part of a major building especially one that is storied. Condos are becoming increasingly popular in Kampala. In areas like Najeera, Kiwatule or Naalya, a two-bedroom flat goes for about Shs240 million and approximately Shs300m for a three-bedroom one, way cheaper than if one was to buy land and build a stand-alone house in the same location. Condos share spaces such as compounds, car parking, security, garbage collection and such other utilities. Previously, these condos were only in Bugoloobi, Bukoto or Wandegeya in Kampala but as Kampala expands, so have these housing units (though there are also commercial buildings on the same model). To attract customers, developers of condos look for prime locations near the main road. Condos enable developers to easily sell these units than say if they looked for one buyer for the entire building. They also enable the developers to get funding from the buyer way before the completion of the project. Basically, they use a buyer’s money to complete the construction of the project. But as condos become increasingly popular, they will open up the economy to more opportunities. One such opportunity is going to be in homes for the elderly. Already, many people are struggling to juggle work and looking after their aging parents and relatives. In some developed countries, there are businesses which look after the elderly either in specialized homes or by simply driving them to their doctors for their appointments as nobody gives employees days off to do this. In Uganda, we largely live with our aging relatives (and even adult offspring). As condos develop, this will become increasingly difficult as most of these ‘flats’ on the market are really small and most of them without even elevators to enable people access houses on the top floors (authorities should think about the elderly and people with disabilities when granting building permits). And in the case where a family has lost a relative, condos aren’t ideal for one to organize wakes or vigils. So more funeral homes will have to be built to cater for this. As Uganda’s population continues to grow, putting more pressures on land, the condo economy will necessitate the establishment of commercial cemeteries. Instead of owning acres of land dedicated to burying people, you will simply pay for space only enough for the grave of the deceased. There are already many landless people so this is a good option for them, to give their relatives decent burials (Ugandans love this). We have started experiencing a cultural shift from weddings and introductions. Previously, a wedding was hosted at the groom’s parents’ home. Then we shifted to hotels. Parents living in condos will need space to organize introduction events, birthday parties and such other things. Many of Kampala’s poor socialites hire houses when they want to do kwanjula —houses that define the glamour lifestyle they are accustomed to but can’t afford to own. This will continue to be the case. If you are looking for where to invest, such houses on at least an acre of land or so could be somewhere to put your money. Families instead of holding intimate Kukyala (pre-introduction ceremony) and kwanjula in hotels and public places, a spacious home can do it for them. They can take over the house for a few days, have their photos well aligned in the foyers and living rooms and give an impression of a home than in a hotel or a public garden. Kampala already lacks open spaces for recreation. Where can one take kids to safely ride bicycles or sit and picnic? Unlike Bugoloobi, Bukoto and Wandegeya flats, the condos being built today are on small pieces of land which sometimes aren’t even sufficient for the residents’ car parking needs. Every open space is being turned into a small structure of sorts, many times ugly. There is an increasing need for open spaces for people. This is why Lugogo Cricket Oval is soon changing name to Lugogo Music Oval or something like that. The stadium at Namboole had turned into a venue for mass prayers and music concerts. As condos flourish, so will more opportunities for those looking for investment opportunities. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

April 14, 2023

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch Career guidance: Become an honest carpenter, tailor or fabricator

Career guidance: Become an honest carpenter, tailor or fabricator By Denis Jjuuko Dominic visited a mutual friend who was finalizing building his house somewhere in Kampala. He found a carpenter who was fixing wardrobes and liked what he saw. Got the carpenter’s contact so he could do similar work at his home. The mutual friend had so far been happy with the work done. Within that week, the carpenter visited Dominic’s residence and quoted for the wardrobes. They bargained for a fee and Dominic made a deposit. After a few weeks, the carpenter delivered some boards and asked for more money to pay for this and that. Dominic made another deposit. It is more than year now since the carpenter last showed up at Dominic’s house. The boards are gathering dust and probably harboring snakes and other scary reptiles. The work at the mutual friend, which was fully paid for has also never been finalized. Half the time, the carpenter’s display shop is closed. Dominic and the mutual friend have committed never to recommend him to anyone. He has completely shut himself out of business to may be a potential 10 or more clientele base these two people would have recommended. But this particular carpenter is not alone. Many people in the crafts industry behave the same way, giving their customers near heart attacks before the work is finalized, if at all. Almost everyone has a story with tailors, metal fabricators, mechanics, electricians, builders and plumbers among others. One of my closet friends says he will never recommend any of such people to anyone. He doesn’t want to be blamed for other people’s failures. I recently withdrew a recommendation of some guy who had worked with friends and relatives for some time. Some of the friends who had worked with him for many years said he was no longer trustworthy. I, like my friend, I didn’t want to run amok. This, however, isn’t new in Uganda. It has been the case for years. Campaigns have been started to streamline work processes in what people consider blue collar jobs. In fact, I first worked on a campaign like this in 2005. What we consider blue collar jobs is the bedrock of many of the world’s biggest economies. Japan, Germany and South Korea have all excelled by having many of their workers in these technical jobs. Norway has the highest amount paid per hour for blue collar workers at US$57.53 followed by Switzerland, Belgium and Denmark (all paying more than US$50 an hour) according to a report by Bloomberg. Germany though has the highest working conditions. Blue collar work has been misunderstood and found unworthy in Uganda and I think largely because of the way the people in these jobs I mentioned above have been behaving —failure to honor their word and in many cases outright theft. All these jobs are due for disruption and have the biggest potential in the market. Look at the automotive industry as an example, there aren’t many Ugandans who aren’t dreaming of buying vehicles. And the vehicles the majority of these Ugandans buy (or can afford) are really old which require constant and high-quality service and maintenance. Many are becoming electric, which requires new skills. I am yet to meet a Ugandan who doesn’t wish to own a house or some property of sorts. Even those who may not wish to own, they still need buildings to live in and operate their businesses. There is a lot of work here. Now that the Primary Leaving Exams (PLE) have been released, parents are looking forward to the secondary ones both for senior four (Uganda Certificate of Education – UCE) and senior six (Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education – UACE). Many times, the finalization of these education levels lead to what careers people will pursue, some of them for a lifetime. Parents, guardians and teachers struggle to advise the children on what careers to pursue. There is an obsession with academic degrees and the so-called white-collar work but there are also a lot of disruptions in this sector with increasingly fewer jobs than ever. A friend, who is a lawyer in Kampala, sent me a message the other day saying that his law firm used to make some money helping people register businesses, get documents registered and all that. The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has digitized that process that one can simply register their businesses and do whatever they need with URSB online, cutting out law and audit firms that were providing this service. So, if you are struggling for which career for your child to pursue, why not go for technical education? But ensure that more than the technical skills, it is honesty that will keep them in the job so that people like Dominic don’t wait for years to get their wardrobes fixed. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

April 14, 2023

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch Low-cost prisons, high end morgues and the connection to PLE results

Low-cost prisons, high end morgues and the connection to PLE results By Denis Jjuuko The Uganda Prisons Service is looking for Shs19 billion to build low-cost prisons in Mbarara, Arua, Tororo, and Gulu according to the officials who appeared before parliament last week. A prison, high end or low cost, is where they keep people who are either accused or convicted of committing crimes, the majority of who are young people for the case of Uganda. If you are attacked by thieves in Kampala or any urban area, you will realize the crime is committed by largely young people who have either failed to find jobs or simply want a good life, easily. You see, there is an increased glorification of wealth. Some people appear on the scene without any known legal source of income and start throwing around money, driving fancy cars and being guarded by members of the elite “sharp shooters” squard. Media houses even interview them or make them panelists on all sorts of things, giving them platforms to facilitate them to commit more crimes. Young people watching such interviews get their brains ingrained with the belief that wealth can easily be got. Politicians, poor only the other day, splash opulence in the face of their voters as soon as they are elected (or appointed) in office. Then the Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) released the results of the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) indicating that nearly 900,000 children sat for the exams in 2022. Yet approximately only 400,000 students are able to sit for their Senior Four examinations or what is known as the Uganda Certificate of Examination (UCE). Where do the 500,000 pupils that sit for PLE go since they don’t sit for UCE? Some join some technical schools but I believe many are the reasons why the prisons officials were in parliament looking for money for low-cost prisons in each major region of the country. But a week before the prison officials appeared in parliament, some politicians from Masaka were elated, posting on their WhatsApp statuses of the major achievement of building a “Shs2.8 billion modern mortuary in the city.” This is when one should use the exclamation Kabaka Mwanga! Why would anyone be happy a multibillion mortuary has been built, especially in a country that lacks basic healthcare facilities? Young people (largely) are either ending up in low-cost prisons or in high end morgues. Yet that shouldn’t be the case. None of them wants to end up in either of them. They want opportunities. They want to earn but many aren’t guided properly. Many inspired by their opulent leaders or those presented as wealthy simply go for the same life. Yet like primary education, secondary education to an extent is also free in some public schools. If we don’t want our kids to end up in prison or the mortuary, we need to push them into secondary education and then make it relevant for them so that they can find jobs they need after UCE. Secondary education is the highest level of education most Africans will ever attain so it is crucial that it is relevant and addresses the challenges of our time. Usually, children in primary schools, at least some of them, are taken to some factories where bread, soda and sugar among others are processed. Schools call them learning trips. Others go to the airport and zoo. Some clever school administrators even take them to dingy shopping malls around Kampala, at a fee! But can’t we also include low-cost prisons and mortuary while emphasizing that if they don’t continue with their education, there is a likely chance that they will end up in such places when they still so young? A campaign like that could put some of them in line. Before you say that this would create fear in the eyes of kids, we had similar campaigns with so much success. Do you remember the HIV/AIDS campaigns of the 1990s? Seeing the state in which famous singer Philly Lutaaya was in opened many people’s eyes and partly saved a generation. Seriously though, we can track every child that joined Primary One and didn’t finish Primary Seven through their schools and enroll them into skilling programs that can enable them to find some decent jobs. We don’t even need to wait for P7, teachers know which children have abandoned school as the majority live in the same communities and then give them some skills that are applicable in their areas of residence so that they don’t end up in crowded low-cost prisons and some fancy place only when they are dead. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

April 14, 2023

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch How to be your own NSSF

How to be your own NSSF By Denis Jjuuko Some years ago, I walked into the wood paneled office of one of my mentors, a Kampala lawyer. I had gone to ask him of his views on becoming a consultant. When I eventually told him what was on my mind, he leaned in swivel chair and decided to talk to me about my mother, of all people! “You see, your mum,” he started. “She has since retired from teaching. Since she has been an employee, teaching in government schools, every month, there is some little money she is paid,” he said before continuing. “It isn’t much really, but it can help her buy some groceries.” I was now all ears. But as a young man, I wondered what this was really about. It wasn’t too long before he made his point. “If consulting is what you want to do, that is fine but remember that you have to work for your pension. Unlike your mother, when retirement comes, there will be no government sending you some little money for groceries every month,” he warned. The jury is still out there on whether I am set up for retirement. However, I remembered this story for the umpteenth time when yet again the management or the lack of it (depending on whose side you take) of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) came up once again. Every few years, NSSF is put under the spotlight that the only solution is to kill its monopoly so that workers have a say on where they save their money. That may not happen in our lifetime so what can one do? Well, the simple answer is that everyone lucky enough to have a job can become their own NSSF. It is mandatory that every private sector employer sends 15% of their employee’s salary to NSSF to invest and pay 20% of it when somebody clocks the age of 45 and has saved with NSSF for 120 months (the latter makes no sense, but that is the law) and the rest of the money when one turns 55 years old. For most people who are lucky to reach this age, this is usually the only money they ever have to see them through retirement. But like my mentor told me, you can do your own savings. And this is one of the ways to do it. If you are looking for a job today or you have just started out, as politicians and those in charge of NSSF blab through the media, just study where NSSF invests your money and replicate it on your own. Largely, NSSF invests money in long term treasury bonds, shares in listed companies in the region and real estate. All these options are also available to you regardless of how much you earn. Let us assume that you earn Shs500,000 a month as your take home and you save 15% of it every month. That would be Shs75,000 per a month or Shs900,000 a year. To buy treasury bonds or bills, you only need Shs100,000 which means that you can invest money after just one and half months of saving 15% of your Shs500,000 salary. All you need is to walk to your bank (many banks do this) and open a CSD (Central Depository System) Account and start buying these government papers which are sold every two weeks. NSSF has time so it invests long term. And the longer the period, the better the returns. If you buy a 15 or 20 year bond, you can get as much as 18% annually. And the beauty of this is that if you invest in these long term bonds, you only pay 10% as tax on your interest. If you go for bonds below 10 years, you pay as much as 20% in taxes on your interest. So if you are doing this and you are 25 years old, there is no reason you don’t go for 15 or 20 year bonds. You have a lot of years before you retire at 60 years old. What you need to be aware of is that this interest is paid every six months so ensure that when your account is credited, you invest it again. Don’t touch this money until the maturity of the bond and then invest it again for 15 to 20 years. If this is too much work for you, approach your insurance company, and invest in unit trusts though they pay only about 11% net of tax annually. NSSF can do it for you too as they allow voluntary savings. By the way, you can break a bond at any time if you want to get your money by selling on the secondary market. Your bank will do this for your effortlessly but don’t be prompted to eat the money. The art of investing for retirement is to delay gratification to a later date. NSSF also invests in real estate and there aren’t many sectors as lucrative as real estate, long term. You may wonder how somebody who is saving Shs900,000 a year will be able to invest in real estate. Invest in land you can afford of about Shs2 million or Shs3m which you can easily get in Luweero or Mpigi or Mukono or any place where you live (for those away from Kampala). Keep this land for 20 or 35 years and you will be in things. Uganda’s population is continuing to grow, putting pressure on real estate. So there will be a lot of demand. You can also get your close friends with the same vision and invest together. Where else can one invest? On the stock exchange. NSSF invests there too. You can as well but don’t limit yourself to Uganda or the region as NSSF. Companies like Chipper Cash, which is regulated by Bank of Uganda, enable you to buy shares of the world’s biggest brands such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft or whatever company you see

April 14, 2023

Out to Lunch

How to be your own NSSF

What would my house cost to build?By Denis JjuukoLast week, an article I authored more than a year ago resurfaced on the internet and in many WhatsApp groups prompting many people to send emails. The said article was on housing and how somebody can easily build their residential house. The said article was given a headline that was perhaps misleading or sexy hence the said interest.The emails I have received were largely on how much a 3-bedroom decent middle-class house would cost to build in Uganda. I subscribe to a housing group where every week, somebody inquires how much it would cost them to build this and that. Somebody can come up and say Shs20m and another says Shs200m and many figures in between. I try as much as possible to answer all the emails that I receive but I know this is a question that won’t go away.So here are some of the answers I give people who ask me how much a house would cost to build.If you are to build a house, the most important part is to acquire land. This determines a lot in what it will cost to build. The labour costs and some materials such as bricks, sand, and coarse aggregate (made by hand ones are cheaper) among others are cheaper in towns far from Kampala. In Kampala, the costs are much more. A clay burnt brick costs on average Shs350 in Kampala metropolitan area but about half the price in towns upcountry. In places like Masaka, they make roof trusses, rafters and even purlins using encryptus trees straight from the forest. They just remove the bark and they are good to go. So, a house in a place like that would always be cheaper than in Kampala where we largely use lumbers.The other big issue when it comes to land is the topography or landscape. Is it swampy, flat or hilly? This determines the cost of the foundation. A swampy area for example will require a lot of hard-core stones than an area in a flat area. A hilly area may need grading or cost more to deliver materials there. A flat area may also need a lot of backfilling. Most people may not mention it but murrum costs a lot of money and then it has to be compacted.Once land has been zeroed in on where to build, then there is need to engage the services of an architect who should then work with at least civil and structural engineers to come up with a design of your needs. What is the size of living spaces and what amenities have been planned? How many bathrooms will the house have? What about a walk-in closet? Many houses in Uganda today are being built with large doors and windows with lots of aesthetics which obviously increase the overall cost of the building.There is an increased interest in high ceilings so that the house is not only cooler but enable the installation of decorative materials (gypsum ceilings) and lighting such as chandeliers. That would require a bit more money than the standard three meter high house.When it comes to structures, a storied building is much more expensive but also the cost of materials of even the same size is not the same. For example, the cost of a 16-millimeter iron bar entirely depends on a company that made it. Some companies sell such a bar around Shs20,000 more than their competitors. The price of a 50kg bag of cement is also not the same. Manufacturers determine the prices differently.When it comes to roofing, it is not the same as well. Even if you are to use iron sheets, the cost varies depending on the gauge and patterns. So you could buy iron sheets that look exactly the same but gauge 28 is more expensive than gauge 32. Some iron sheets require rubber washers when being nailed to minimize leaking and that will cost a bit more money.Then finishing. What materials are you using? Ceramic floor tiles or porcelain or marble ones? The costs are different. Windows and doors? Steel costs less than aluminum profiles. Euro or Greek standard aluminum profiles are more expensive than Dubai or China standard. Even tinted glass costs more than the one known as Clear. The thickness just like in steel matters here too.So the best way to have an idea of what your house will cost is by engaging an architect first for the design (ensure he visits the land where you want to build) and then engage quantity surveyors.The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

April 14, 2023

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch 2023 resolutions had I been the government

My 2023 resolutions had I been the government By Denis Jjuuko We are already deep into 2023 and many people are working on their annual resolutions. Imagine if the government was an individual, what resolutions would they make? Here are mine, had I been the government. Lake Victoria – Following the maiden voyage of MT Kabaka Mutebi II to Kisumu in Kenya and returning with 4.5 million litres of fuel, I commit to utilize Lake Victoria more. One vessel alone was able to bring in fuel that is usually carried by 150 trucks. I have decided to create public transport from Jinja to Kampala to Entebbe to Masaka using Lake Victoria. This will enable me reduce road accidents and injuries, create new more sustainable jobs and reduce my costs in maintaining roads. To achieve this, I commit to protect the lake so that it continues to serve this purpose. Kampala metropolitan roads – I get the biggest percentage of my taxes from the Kampala metropolitan area as it is the most developed part of the country. It is no longer sustainable that I neglect the road infrastructure in Kampala metropolitan area. People can’t spend two hours everyday to get to work and another two to go back home. I will fix the roads so that my people spend less time in traffic jams. I hate traffic jams myself that is why I have a lead car but since everyone can’t have such a car, fixing roads should help me achieve this. Public transport – Related to the above, somebody told me that young people and even businesses spend a lot of money on transport. I hear some young people only work for transport. I have decided that, starting with Kampala, I will ensure enough buses are on the roads and charge standard fees regardless of the distance. These buses won’t increase transport fare as they wish and they will move on time regardless of whether they are full of passengers or not. To protect the environment, I will ensure that these buses are fully electric. In the years ahead, I will work on a train to form a ring around the expanding Kampala and then trams in some areas. Protect high voltage electricity infrastructure – Towards the end of last year, I realized that many people were vandalizing our high voltage electricity infrastructure. I have already resolved to work tooth and nail to introduce electric buses to ease transport, so electricity infrastructure is key. I will also reduce the electricity tariffs as well because this year, my people at Ministry of Energy have told me that Karuma Dam will come online thereby increasing our installed capacity by a whopping 600MW. Enable more young people to build houses – Ugandans love building, which is a good thing but the costs are high. First, my resolution to increase road infrastructure and make public transport more efficient will lower the cost of land as people will be able to live in Mpigi or Lugazi and work in Kampala. But also when people have a house, they have a stake in their country so they will ensure that the country is safe to live in for them and their children and even grandchildren. So I will provide incentives to companies involved in building materials, make acquiring land safe and easier, and provide solutions to banks so that they can lower the rate of mortgages. Education – I will work on public schools so that they can compete with the private ones and you as a parent you will decide whether to take your child to a public school or to a private one. Unlike today, you will have a choice. I will make high quality education affordable for all at all levels. Education will also be more relevant so that we can use it to solve the challenges of our time. Health – Nairobi and New Delhi will stop being Uganda’s referral hospitals. I will equip our public hospitals with everything they need to treat our people here. I am stopping the archaic scheme where civil servants go to India or Nairobi for even mundane things such as annual medical checkups on public funds. I will put that money in our health system so that we stop donating money to these foreigners. Ease procurement – The people in the private sector have told me that government spends a lot of time procuring goods and services and then a lot of time to pay the companies for their goods and services. I have resolved to change the laws regarding procurement so that we are more efficient. The technology is available to ease procurement and make it transparent. Widen the tax base – We have very few people paying taxes leading to them paying a lot more. If more people pay taxes, everyone will pay little. From this month, your national identity number will be your tax identity number for anyone 18 years old and above. For companies, the registration number will be the TIN. I have instructed the Ministry of Finance to reduce taxes such as Pay as You Earn (PAYE), VAT and others. Watch out for the national budget in June. Agriculture – Many of my people work in this sector but bring in little for themselves and to the national treasury. I am going to have a qualified extension officer in each parish to enable people grow more food but also sell it or add value. If they practice agriculture as it should be, they will start getting rewards. I will create markets for their produce. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

April 14, 2023

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch Road toll technology can halve accidents on our roads

Road toll technology can halve accidents on our roads By Denis Jjuuko On many of our roads in Uganda, it is not uncommon to find a vehicle moving at high speed in the evening or early morning with lights off. Lights don’t consume any fuel or batteries (for electric vehicles) when a car is in motion but many Ugandan drivers delay as much as possible to switch them on. Then, many others switch off the lights as soon as they think they can see a bit of the road in the early morning. When it’s dark enough that they can’t see, many beam their headlights high enough to blind oncoming motorists. Yet many others have one headlight, giving an impression of a motorcycle to other road users. Many others don’t even have taillights at all making themselves invisible to others. Other times you find a tractor or truck using a torch at night. It is such negligence that has led to many international organizations to ban their staff from traveling at night. But accidents don’t happen only at night. Police attributes many of these accidents to reckless driving. During the festive season, like we have just seen, many people die in road accidents causing nightmares for families and loved ones. Nearly 4,000 people die every year in road accidents in Uganda — a number bigger than the deaths attributed to Covid-19 but we don’t put the same emphasis on roads as we do with other some other health issues. Although road accidents can’t be entirely eliminated, many can be avoided. As a country, we need a serious discussion on this. Halving road accident deaths and injuries is one of the Social Development Goals (SDGs) as detailed by the United Nations. But what are we doing to reach this target by 2030? We need to train our drivers and ensure that they are competent. This would require changing the way drivers’ licenses are issued by ensuring that people have requisite training to drive. The current model where someone gets a very old car and then starts teaching others to drive needs to be reconsidered. The mechanical condition of vehicles is another important issue. One, we need to stop the importation of very old cars. We can start by only importing vehicles that are eight years or newer. The government can slash import duty to ensure more people can afford these vehicles and this should include commercial vehicles especially trucks. Trucks can also be made here. During the festive season, news trickled in that the government had acquired more than 1,300 acres in Bbaale in Kayuga to establish an automotive industrial park. The Kayunga District Local Government has also promptly approved the physical plan paving way for the development of the park. However, we shouldn’t follow the Namanve model where we just allocate land and wait for investors. The automotive industry is highly competitive and requires significant resources. So the government can do more to lower the cost of entry for investors. What government needs to do is to establish the necessary infrastructure in Bbaale such as bitumen standard roads, high voltage electricity (Isimba Dam is nearby so transmission and distribution shouldn’t be difficult), piped water (again River Nile and Lake Kyoga are in the vicinity), high speed internet, security and even start up facilities such as warehouses and recreation facilities. A ring road covering the two square mile piece of land could be used as a test track and may be even establish some car racing of sorts at one stage. I know that Kiira Motors is already building testing facilities in Jinja for their vehicles but Kayunga can be another centre. The inspector of vehicles within the Uganda police can establish a proper high-tech branch where each car is tested either annually or once every two years. Only vehicles that pass the test should be allowed on the road. Some of the money vehicle owners pay should be used to set up road toll-like systems on all the major highways that detect whether a vehicle has been tested and passed the test or not. UNRA can use the experience on the Entebbe Expressway (albeit with better technology) to handle this in partnership with private sector players. The Uganda Investment Authority, the Science, Technology and Innovation secretariat among other government ministries, departments and agencies need to aggressively attract the right investors. Not all investors need to be car makers because that is not how the industry works. Some can make brake pads, others nuts and bolts, automotive steel, car lights and glass (we have a lot of silica in Uganda), and plastics among others. If we worked hard and smart, we can achieve the SDG target of halving road accident deaths and injuries by 2030. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

April 14, 2023