EU gives Shs90b to Uganda for MDGs

EU Ambassador Kristian Schmidt

Kampala-The European Union (EU), has released Euros 21.7m (about Shs90b) to support the implementation of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Uganda.

The money is in recognition of the progress the country has so far made in sustaining socio-economic development and attaining its MDGs’ agenda between 2013 and 2014.
EU’s support to Uganda will focus on socio-economic development, good governance and sustainable rural development with a financial envelope of up to Euros 578m ( about Shs2.3 trillion) until 2020.

The condition
EU Ambassador Kristian Schmidt said the impact of the donation was entirely dependent on the partnership with the Government of Uganda.

“Our support rewards performance. Its impact is entirely dependent on the partnership with the Government of Uganda.

We expect future support to yield further progress in inclusive development, democracy, rule of law, cost-effective infrastructure, sustainable livelihoods, agriculture and much needed job opportunities for Uganda’s unemployed youth,” he said.

The payment rewarded Uganda for keeping a favourable macro-economic environment in the past years, characterised by low and stable inflation and resilient growth rates.

The EU support also rewarded the decrease in absolute poverty, with Uganda being one of the few countries to have halved extreme poverty (MDG 1) already before the 2015 MDG deadline.

MDG progress
Progress in school enrolment (MDG 2), girls’ education (MDG 3), immunisation rates and drugs supply (MDGs 4, 5 and 6) also informed the EU decision to disburse the money.
The EU further acknowledged that the MDGs remain unfinished business, including in Uganda, where the quality of learning levels has decreased in recent years characterised by low levels of qualified health staff.

Although key MDG’s targets such as reduced maternal and child mortality rates remain out of reach in the near future, the EU support will encourage Uganda’s continued efforts in these areas.