Prime
Museveni gives Shs130b for 20 industrial hubs countrywide
Project planning. The Jinja District chairperson, Mr Titus Kisambira (second right ), guides State House officials led by the Comptroller, Ms Lucy Nakyobe, on a tour of the land at Nakabango where the industrial park is to be established. PHOTO BY TAUSI NAKATO
What you need to know:
- Poverty eradication. Government designed the Youth Livelihood Fund in the 2013/2014 Financial Year to respond to youth unemployment.
- In 2016, government also introduced Uganda Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme aimed at fighting poverty among women.
- The funds are channelled through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
President Museveni has allocated Shs130b for the establishment of 20 zonal industrial hubs in the country following a successful pilot study in Kampala.
This was disclosed by the State House Comptroller, Ms Lucy Nakyobe, while meeting leaders and officials from Busoga Sub-region over implementation of the project at Jinja District Council Hall on Wednesday.
Ms Nakyobe said the fund is under the presidential initiative for wealth creation and local economic development. The funds aim at eradicating poverty among the youth and women.
“The 20 zonal Industrial parks will have mini factories with an aim of skilling all the youth and women at no cost.
The mini factories will deal in carpentry, tailoring, stone-cutting, welding, shoe-making, crafts, weaving and bakery, among others.
She added: “We shall also set up industrial cottages which will be dealing in value-addition basing on what the region produces most.”
Ms Nakyobe said their work is to ensure that the centres are established with structures and equipped with necessary machines for production to kick-off, after which they will be handed over to the regional chief administrative officers for management and sustainability.
She appealed to leaders to expedite the process of approving the plans that involve where construction will take place so that the project is implemented before the financial year ends to avoid returning the money.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Mr Benjamin Kumumanya, said the project will eradicate poverty and unemployment among the youth.
The zonal industrial park will be used by all the 11 districts within Busoga Sub-region and accordingly, Jinja leaders have offered 20 acres of land at Nakabango demonstration farm - out of the 56 acres - to set the project in motion.
The Jinja District chairperson, Mr Titus Kisambira, said the project has been long overdue because the existing factories have been unable to employ the unskilled youth.
The chairperson of Busoga Youth Leaders’ Association, Mr Ayub Igulu, urged government to search for market for the products for the sustainability of the project.
