|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
KAMPALA: The president of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni has given exclusive authority and permission to Metu Katabaazi a Ugandan investor to be the only one to run mass bus transport services with in Kampala and it’s environs.
In a letter seen by this publication, the president whose orders and directives are final directed the prime Minister Robinah Nabanja to execute his directives and give exclusive permission to Metu Katabazi to run the mass transit services for buses in Kampala and the nearby areas.
AD: FOR THE WORLD CLASS HOSTING, WEB DESIGNS AND DOMAIN NAMES, CALL OR WHATSAP +256758201313
This means with the word exclusive in the president’s letter, Only Metu will handle such services without any other competitor doing the same in the city and it’s surroundings like Mukono,Wakiso and Entebbe. This now kicks out others in the industry such as Tondeka which hit Kampala roads early last year and pioneer all out of business with hope of solving the mass bus transport system in the Kampala metropolitan.
“This is to direct you to give exclusive permission to Mr. Metu Katabazi to run Mass Transit Service for buses in the Kampala and surrounding towns using the buses he hs fabricated in Uganda. There are other players that wanted to run that City Bus Service even using locally fabricated buses.”-Museveni letter partly reads.
The president says by giving Mr. Katabazi this lucrative and juicy deal for fabricating the buses and running the City bus service is empowering the local investor whom he says even if the market grows and he’s not able to fabricate more buses, he can still buy from local companies like Kiira motors.
“To further empower our manufacturing sector, it is better Mr. Motu doe3 both – the fabrication and the transport operation. Why? Two reasons. First of all, it gives him more cash for expanding our manufacturing. Secondly, do not forget that Foreign Service providers, transporters in this case, externalize some of money they earn in Uganda_ When, therefore, you have an actor that both produces the goods (vehicles in this case) and provides the service (transport), you should not miss such optimal combination. Therefore, Mr. Metu is to both fabricate the buses and run the transport service”-President’s letter further reads.
Some presidential directives have found stiff resistance from the private investors who some times feel left out from good business whenever the president makes such orders. Museveni this very had to rescind his directive of having all government adverts run through UBC and New Vision when private broadcasters threatened to stop covering government and his presidential addresses over the same.
He has recently taken the direction of monopoly where he picks one company or individual and gives it business while locking other players out. He had also previously ordered Enrica Pinette to be the only one to buy, process and export coffee from Uganda. This particular directive also faced backlash. But the president would later say it’s true he’s the one behind Pinette.
Parliament last month amended the Petroleum Supply (Amendment) Bill 2023 without any opposition. The bill which president has quickly signed into law now gives exclusive rights to only the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) to be the only one to import all fuel products into the country. UNOC has since signed supply deals with UAE based oil company Vitol to be the only one to supply fuel to the Ugandan market.
President Museveni also made directives to local governments and ministries to gives tenders to UPDF’s National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) to be the only one to undertake construction projects for schools and hospitals. The president’s orders end up locking out local companies from bidding for such tenders since his directives are final.
If you have a story in your community, an opinion article, comment, sponsored article or an advert, let’s publish it. Send us an email via ultimatenews19@gmail.com or WhatsApp +255769138299
