President Museveni has emphasised that peace and security are crucial for any business to thrive.
The President made the remarks today during the 5th Bi-Annual Private Sector CEO Retreat held at the Serena Hotel, Kampala, on Saturday.
The 2-day retreat ran under the theme “Battle to Greenfield: Transforming Northern Uganda into a commercial production and logistical hub for exports.”.
The retreat featured exhibitions by farmers and other players in Northern Uganda’s agricultural value chain. Participants delved into topics covering commercial agriculture, agroindustrialization, cross-border trade, value-addition, transport, and logistics, among other business ideas.
Museveni also highlighted strategies that are being used by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government to further steer the economic development of the country, such as the full monetisation of the economy.
“For business to succeed, you must address a number of strategic issues that affect the whole situation,” he said.
He further explained, “When you have people staying outside the money economy, they sabotage the country in two ways: they don’t buy, so we who produce don’t have enough buyers. So this issue of everybody getting involved in the money economy is a strategic one, not only to get rid of poverty but also to produce more material and also to increase the purchasing power of the population.”
The president was glad to note that the country is doing well in the electricity sector because more dams will be built to provide the target of 52,000 megawatts.
“Our target is to give manufacturers a price of five American cents per kilowatt,” he said.
He also emphasised that Northern Uganda has a good road network to promote movement of commodities, thus calling upon the districts to properly utilise the increased funds for road maintenance.
The President informed the participants that the two debts” that are now left for the government to fulfil.
President Museveni pointed out that the real problem in Northern Uganda is political leadership. He said some leaders in the region are selfish and enemies of their own people who don’t care about development in the region.
On good practices, the President commended the former Leader of Opposition, Prof. Ogenga Latigo, describing him as “an exceptional politician who works for the development of his area.”.
He instructed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development and Secretary to the Treasury, Mr. Ramathan Ggoobi, to consult with Prof. Latigo and utilise his expertise for guidance.
President Museveni supported the idea of researchers concentrating on discoveries on ways of controlling diseases and pests that attack crops without the use of chemicals that may have some adverse side effects.
The Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Dr. Kenneth Omona, encouraged leaders to mobilise the wananchi on mass production and wealth creation.
The Chairman of the Presidential CEO Forum (PCF) Board, Mr. Emmanuel Katongole, on behalf of the Board members and all participants at the retreat, wished President Museveni a happy 80th birthday,
The Coordinator and CEO of the Presidential CEO Forum, Mrs. Irene Birungi Mugisha, informed the President that the primary aim of this year’s biannual private sector CEO retreat is to transform Northern Uganda from an area once marred by conflict into a thriving commercial hub.
