After reading all this I do believe we are really independant and self reliant as Mu7 promised Ugandans in 1986.May we continue with this very trend of independence and self reliance. God bless Uganda. Thanks. Kipenji. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- Omar Kezimbira <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > THE EAST AFRICAN -NAIROBI-KENYA > > Regional > Monday, January 20, 2003 > > > --------------------------------- > > > > > > Lack of Funds Delays Diplomats' Posting Reopening of > the country's key embassies of Paris, Tehran, Bonn > and Moscow has been put on hold until the Treasury > releases funds > > > By WAIRAGALA WAKABI > THE EASTAFRICAN > THE LONG delayed posting of new Ugandan diplomats > abroad has once again been put on hold, as the > Ministry of Foreign Affairs is yet to secure funds > from the Treasury for the exercise. > Ministry sources said the much awaited reopening of > the country's key embassies of Paris, Tehran, Bonn > and Moscow had also been put on hold until the > Treasury released funds the ministry requisitioned > in the 2002/03 financial year. > Financial difficulties forced Uganda to close its > embassies in those countries over two years ago, but > both the Cabinet and President Yoweri Museveni are > now convinced of the need to re-open them. The > president has just drawn up a list of nominees for > the new postings, including those proposed for the > missions in the four nations. > A spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, David Etuket, > said funds for the new postings and reopening of the > missions had not been received, adding that his > ministry was engaged in talks with the Treasury to > work out the monies needed to expedite its release. > "The political decision has been taken to open the > missions so we are sure the Treasury will release > the funds," said Mr Etuket. The decision to reopen > the Paris and Berlin missions was made necessary by > the fact that the two are among Uganda's leading > development partners. Uganda also hopes to market > its tourism to investors from France and Germany. > The Ministries of Agriculture, Animal Industry and > Fisheries, Works and Communications, Education and > Health are said to have realised a fall in donor aid > following the closure of the missions. > The parliamentary committee on foreign affairs > headed by Nathan Nsaba Buturo has accused the > Finance Ministry of failing to adequately fund the > country's missions abroad. > "The committee is deeply concerned that certain > officials in the Ministry of Finance charged with > managing the country's purse have limited > appreciation of the vital role of the Ministry of > Foreign Affairs," said the committee in a statement. > "These officials see this ministry as a consumer > ministry." > Two years ago, Uganda rescinded a decision to close > the mission in Tokyo after Japan reportedly > threatened to shut down its projects in the country. > Documents at the Foreign Ministry show that Japan > had in 2000 slowed down disbursement of bilateral > assistance funds to Uganda until Kampala's Foreign > Minister James Wapakhapulo travelled to Tokyo and > promised to keep the embassy open. > The embassy in China, which had also been earmarked > for closure, was kept open when Beijing objected to > the move. Subsequently, China in 2001 gave Uganda > funds for construction of the ministry's > headquarters and agreed to partially reduce the > debts Uganda owed it. Uganda subsequently tasked its > Beijing mission with promoting Ugandan commodities > there, which resulted in the establishment of > Ugandan coffee shops in the country. > The protocol department of the Foreign Ministry said > last week that few governments had responded yet to > nomination of Uganda's new envoys, which was also > expected to delay the postings. > Paris has reportedly been top on the list of the > missions Uganda wants to reopen after the French > government made a "direct appeal" to President > Museveni to reopen it. Increased co-operation > between Paris and Kampala in seeking peace in the > Great Lakes region had also made it critical to > reopen the mission. > The Foreign Ministry's funding proposal for opening > the new missions and posting new envoys was sent to > the Finance Ministry separately from the Foreign > Ministry's annual budget but has not yet been > approved by the Treasury. > Uganda has also decided to open a mission in Tehran > in order to tap the rich Middle East, which is > increasingly becoming a source of markets and goods > for the country. > "There is a lot of potential for trade and > investment in this region. The Islamic Development > Bank is a source of both soft and commercial loans. > There is also the Organisation of Islamic > Conference. However, our mission in Riyadh, with its > small staff and insufficient resources, cannot > effectively cover the region," a document on the > restructuring of foreign missions says. > Uganda is increasingly selling its goods to the > Middle East, including coffee, fish and > horticultural products. The region supplies Uganda > with electronics, textiles and automobiles. Regular > flights by Emirates and Gulf Air have helped to > strengthen the trade. > Comments\Views about this article > > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now
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