Kipenji, The current budget for most ministries was cut sometime back and the resources diverted to help contain LRA mayhem. MOFA was also affected.
LM --- Owor Kipenji <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 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 > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Everything you'll ever need on one web page > from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts > http://uk.my.yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com
