Nema to automate operations in March
The 1st Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga (centre), OWC Deputy Coordinator Gen Sam Kavuma (left), NEMA ED, Dr Barirega Akankwasah (second left) take a group photo after the Jinja meeting on February 23, 2024. PHOTO/SAM CALEB OPIO
What you need to know:
- Dr Akankwasah, who was in Jinja city on Friday, assured Busoga, Bukedi and Kigezi sub-regions that they will not be evacuated from wetlands until they have an alternative.
The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) will with effect from March automate some of its operations for effectiveness and ease of doing business in Uganda through a web-based Environment Licensing and Management Information System (ELMIS) it has developed.
Nema Executive Director, Dr Barirega Akankwasah, told leaders at a stakeholder engagement in Jinja city on February 23 that the automation will improve service delivery by enabling public to access the listed Nema services online, fast track review of projects, provide real time information to management for decision making, and improve efficiency.
Some of the operations that will be automated include; the application and processing of environment practitioners’ licences, project briefs, environment and social impact assessment (ESIA) certificates.
“Effective March 1, 2024, all applications for environment practitioners’ licences, project brief certificates, Terms of Reference for ESIA, and ESIA certificates shall be done through a web-based ELMIS developed by Nema,” Dr Akankwasah said.
He added that more services, including audits submissions, will be added in due course.
No wetland evacuations
Dr Akankwasah assured Busoga, Bukedi and Kigezi sub-regions that they will not be evacuated from wetlands until they have an alternative.
He was speaking during an engagement convened by the Coordinator Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Gen Salim Saleh, and Nema in Jinja on promoting sustainable livelihood programmes and protecting the environment.
“No one is going to be evicted from the wetlands in Busoga, Bukedi and Kigezi as per the President’s directive until we have a package and alternative. So don’t worry,” Dr Akankwasah said.
He added: “The Executive Order comes with an alternative environment strategy to use irrigation to grow rice and fish farming on the edges of wetlands. Nema did not come to impose any directive, but to learn what the Busoga sub-region thinks about wetland evacuation.”
Dr Akankwasah’s assurance was in response to the Bugabula North legislators, Mr John Teira, who said there must be an alternative before the wetland evacuation is implemented.
“We are asking and waiting for special attention and alternatives and before that, we can’t convince the people to get out of wetlands which they do for survival,” Mr Teira said.
The Deputy Coordinator OWC, Gen Sam Kavuma, said the discussions helped to generate policy ideas to shape their role in scaling livelihood programmes and guide Nema operations towards effective use of the environment and natural resources.
The First Deputy Prime Minister, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, urged the government to issue a public instrument on wetlands and avoid what she referred to as “selective application of laws on wetlands”.
“We need a gazzetted public instrument, not letters written to individuals; we need capacity building, alternatives,” she suggested.
The Minister for the Presidency, Ms Milly Babalanda, blamed Nema for reportedly issuing no objection certificates to the development in wetlands, poor sensitisation and “ambiguity” over what wetlands are and where.
Local leaders decried the alleged high handedness by the Resident District Commissioners and other government agencies, saying the President had issued a directive for stay of action until an alternative is given.
