CURRENT UGANDA ADMINISTRATION OVERWHELMED BY DEVELOPMENTS

The challenges Uganda faces are beyond the capacity of the current NRM leadership.  While Government is not ready to accept that the challenges are beyond the ability of the current leaders, it is true that everyday in Uganda people who we are told are better off find themselves homeless just after some serious rain; and they have to be care for.  The problem is that Government has used deceit all the time.  While things appear in budgets, the implementation is below 50%, the failure rate of virtually everything is high.  It is sad, and what is 'progressive' is the State House budget!

ALL DONORS TO UGANDA SHOULD DEMAND FOR ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE FUNDS

World Bank demands government position on NAADS

By AGENCIES

Posted  Sunday, April 21  2013 at  01:00

The World Bank wants the Ugandan government to pronounce itself on the fate of National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads) and end the present indecision, which has left many in suspense.

Mr Rashit Pertev, a senior agricultural economist, said on Friday that the World Bank was keen to know the decision government will make about the future of extension services in the country.

He, however, explained that while the country has freedom in choosing how to progress with the extension services, World Bank would not fund any project or service related to agriculture should government chose to centralise extension services.

Privatising extension services
He explained that it would be strange for Uganda that has for long acted as a model of privatising agricultural extension services, to choose to re-centralise it at a time when many countries in the world are opting to involve the private sector in the delivery of agricultural extension services.

Mr Pertev emphasised that agricultural extension service would have to remain purely private sector-oriented if it is to attract funding.

“We want a decision on it because at the moment, there are ongoing projects and we want a decision on it. Indecision is a killer and at the moment we need clarity from government on what is happening with Naads. Is it forward with Naads? Is it a enough with Naads? A decision has to be made,” said Mr Pertev

He observed that many areas of agriculture in the country had not received support such as funding except the research and extension prompting Naads to attempt to carry all the weight of all support expected in the agricultural sector. As a result, he said Naads has been expected to provide varied services such as rural input, micro financing and often times become political.

“This is also to do with the fact that agriculture has been jumping on one foot in Uganda. The need gap in agriculture was put on to Naads. Naads was everything, rural finance agency, rural input agency, rural political agency, everything, you name it everything, everything,” he said.

The concerns by World Bank come in the wake of debates over the implementation of the project and varied proclamation by political leaders including President Museveni.

Government response
However, Mr Everest Mulumba, the Naads spokesperson, said the project is on course. He explained that there was likelihood that they would scrap the provision of agricultural inputs and only concentrate on extension and advisory services.

In 2002, government introduced the Naads to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural extension service. However, the programme has attracted criticism over its implementation.