UMA boss blames World Bank, IMF
By Mary Karugaba 

THE chairman of Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), Abid Alam, has blamed the World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) for ill-advising the Government on development. 

Alam said this while meeting officials from the Uganda Private Sector Development Programme, UMA and Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the visiting Malaysian technical and advisory team at the National Planning Authority offices recently. 

“We have been asking the IMF and WB to help us start our textile industries but instead they advised us to import mivumba (second-hand clothes) saying they are a bit cheap. 

They want us to develop their industries while ours continue to disintegrate,” Alam said. 

He said the Government has not offered enough incentives to the private sector especially manufacturers. 

Alam said the budget had many incentives yet some like corporate tax were not fulfilled. 

Yuichi Kashiwada, the managing director of Phenix Logistics, said some incentives kept changing while others never materialised. 

He said the Government should set up definite programmes for incentives. 

Meanwhile, some Members of Parliament on the finance, planning and economic development and national economy committees said the World Bank and the IMF’s policies are unfair. 

Kabakumba Labwoni (Bujenjje) said, “The WB, has made us their puppet.” 

Engineer Gagawalla, a consultant said while Malaysia ‘kicks’ them out, we welcome them. 

Guma Gumisiriza (Ibanda North) said 80% of Ugandans produce for consumption without exporting anything. 

The Malaysian delegation said their success was mainly due to little government influence in the private sector.
Published on: Thursday, 15th January, 2004
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