The President’s speech at Ngoma where he cited that 4 in 10 Ugandans work for the stomach was true but let’s increase the number to 7 out of 10. According to him working for the stomach was a bad habit because it leaves no room for investment.
But how is a Ugandan going to invest when inflation is a household reality and all commodities are highly priced, meanwhile the minimum wage is a pinch of some catastrophe one has to endure.
If one earns 2,000,000 million but is taxed down to 1,500,000 and has to pay rent worth 300,000, pay fees of 1,000,000 on average for quality education per child and has food, health plus transport expenses, what is left of that amount. Now imagine someone who earns lesser than that but had to meet the same demands.
An appeal to the Minister for Public Service Muruli Mukasa, by Minister Kwiyucwiny Freedom and Rebecca Kadaga on workers’ wages is timely and yet not amplified. It ought to cut across the raise in salaries but also rouse the finance ministry to give due attention to the current inflation status in the country.
It aught to do this while engaging the Ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development to work towards improving the wellbeing of laborer. Non Governmental Organization and Churches are silent on this situation, yet poverty is their theme song.
Shall all Ugandans become thieves to survive. That is not a question but a reality already playing out through corruption and increase in crime rates. A lot of advocacy us needed to fight price rigging, inflation and the exploitation of workers in the country.
