Brief To the Media On Cabinet Meeting Held On Monday 26th February 2018 At State House Entebbe

Cabinet Chaired by H.E the President discussed and took the following decisions;

1. Noted and approved both venue and theme for this year’s National Celebrations in commemoration of the International Women’s Day. The Celebrations will be held on Thursday 8th March, 2018 at Busuubizi Core Primary Teachers’ College, Mityana District under the theme “Empowerment of Rural Women and Girls: Opportunities and Challenges” . H.E the President of the Republic of Uganda will be the Chief Guest. Local Governments and KCCA were accordingly advised to observe the day under the same theme.
2. Cabinet Approved the Principles to amend the Bank of Uganda Act, 2000 and authorised the Minister of finance to issue drafting instructions to the First parliamentary counsel to have the amendment bill drafted and then tabled to cabinet for discussion. By seeking to amend this Act government has the following policy objectives:
3. a) To update the objectives and functions of BOU to reflect changing mandate and roles of the central bank

1. b) To outline the monetary policy operations of the Central Bank (BOU)

1. c) To ensure effective implementation of the requirements of the new national legislation and regional (EAC) commitments.
2. d) To strengthen provisions in the current act that are considered inadequate for the effective execution of BOU’s constitutional roles in the changing environment and clarify those that have presented interpretation challenges.
3. Cabinet was informed that when these objectives are achieved through the amendments, it will enable and enhance the Central bank’s capacity in the evolving financial market environment.
4. Cabinet discussed and approved the proposal to borrow up to US$ 75.82Million from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to support the National Oil Palm Project (NOPP) and authorised the minister of finance, planning and economic development to proceed to parliament to seek approval. The overall goal of the project is to contribute to sustainable poverty reduction in the project areas. The development objective of the project is to increase the domestic production of vegetable oil and it’s byproducts, thus raising rural incomes for smallholder producers and ensuring the supply of affordable vegetable oil products to Ugandan consumers and neighboring regional markets. The project will invest in what they call Oil palm investment hubs defined as agro-climatically suitable areas within a radius of approximately 30km around crude oil plan (CPO) mill, in which at least 3,000 ha of small holder oil palm production cab be assured. The beneficiary areas are; Buvuma Island, Mayuge, Masaka/Rakai. In Kalangala, the project will consolidate the investments undertaken under vegetable oil project, phase 2 and support oil palm communities with activities complementary to oil palm investment, but will not expand the area under oil palm production.
5. Cabinet also discussed and approved the proposal to borrow up to UAD 19.0Million as Supplementary Loan from the African Development Fund Financing to support the Kampala Sanitation Program Phase 1..The programme aims to (i) improve the sewerage situation in Kampala city through the implementation of selected measures for the rehabilitation and expansion of the sewage system, (ii) improve collection of faecal sludge from onsite Sanitation facilities in unsewered areas & (iii) construction of waste water and faecal sludge treatment facilities for the metropolitan Kampala. Expected outputs of the programme include;
6. a) A waste water treatment plant of capacity 45000 cubic metres per day constructed at Bugolobi Wankoko,
7. b) 31Kms of sewer networks constructed within Nakivubo and Kinawataka catchment areas, and
8. c) A pre-treatment plant and pumping station of Capacity 9000 cubic metres per day constructed in Kinawataka wetland
9. Noted that Uganda would host the Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Troop Contributing Countries of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on 2nd March, 2018 at the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort, Kampala-Uganda.
10. Cabinet discussed and noted with great concern reports of illegal simcards still active in the market and being used by criminals to hide identity. The Minister of ICT and National Guidance briefed cabinet that the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) had been directed to commence investigations into how some alleged Airtel numbers were got with wrong or forged identities by suspected criminals. Cabinet directed the Minister of ICT and National Guidance to investigate Telecommunication Companies that registered Simcards with wrong Information with a view of taking strong punitive measures against them if found uncompliant with government’s standing policy of having all simcards registered before issuance with the use of a National Identity card for Nationals.
11. Cabinet Congratulated and welcomed the Minister of State for Health (Primary Health Care) Hon. Dr. Joyce Muriku Kaducu upon recovery from the ailment that had kept her away from office since November, 2017 and thanked God for sparing her.

Frank K. Tumwebaze, MP

MINISTER OF ICT & NATIONAL GUIDANCE/CABINET SPOKESPERSON