NRM MPs Endorse President Museveni’s Plan to Streamline Government Agencies
By The Public Lens
In a significant move to optimize resource allocation, President Museveni and NRM MPs have agreed on the rationalization of government agencies, aiming to eliminate unnecessary entities and enhance efficiency.
Addressing the parliamentary caucus of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) at State House Entebbe, President Museveni emphasized the need for rationalization, citing the example of civil servants who can perform effectively when required.
“Because you people say that the civil servants are not active, they don’t respond, okay I know them myself but when we get the army worm, who fights it? These sleepy people come up and fight the army worm. When we get the locusts like when they came, who fought the locusts? It was the army and these sleepy people, if you wake them up, they can do some work,” he said.
The President assured that the rationalization process will not compromise the quality of services provided, but rather strengthen research institutions and enhance the capacity of ministries.
“Recently I was in Kenya, and they are having a problem, they don’t have coffee seedlings and the reason why they don’t have coffee seedlings is not because of lacking a UCDA but having no research institutions,” he noted.
The NRM MPs resolved to support the presentation and passing into law of all the Bills on the Rationalisation of Government Agencies and Public Expenditure (RAPEX), providing for a three-year transitional period for Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and National Information Technology Authority, Uganda (NITA-U).
The Minister of State for Animal Industry, Hon. Lt. Col (Rtd) Bright Rwamirama, informed legislators that the ministry is taking on the US model, Germany model, and UK to create the Food and Agriculture Authority, which will absorb the functions of Dairy Development Authority and UCDA.
The Minister for National Guidance, Godfrey Kabyanga Baluku, informed the President of the ongoing 3-year Uganda digital access project (UDAP) worth $200 million, aimed at expanding digital connectivity to selected areas.
The MPs welcomed the rationalization plan, with Hon. Yorke Odria Alioni stating that it is long overdue.
The Woman MP for Omoro, Catherine Lamwaka, agreed with the President about rationalization but asked for more support to coffee farmers, especially in Acholi sub-region, with water for irrigation to sustain their seedlings.
The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja and other ministers, marking a significant step towards streamlining government agencies and enhancing efficiency.
