Uganda: MoFPED – Press Statement – Study Leave for Hon. Evelyn Anite, the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (Privatisation & Investments) – (13.07.2018)

Letter:

Cameroon: CHRDA – 12th July 2018 Massacre by the Security Forces in Batibo (13.07.2018)

Opinion: MPs Security Detail is prepared to be modern day Santana Scandal!

Shiish, there are just some news that doesn’t capture your eyes quick enough. I have read the letter, but didn’t capture all the details, neither the costs. However, there was several of gentleman at the Daily Monitor, that did. Therefore, I am writing here today, because of the possible cost of buying cars for MPs new security detail. This has been ordered by the President and his words is law. No matter how expensive or how insane it is.

Here is the case from today:

“On June 29, President Museveni ordered Finance minister Matia Kasaija to urgently procure bullet-proof cars with “sharp shooters” from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to protect lives of the MPs against what he termed “terrorists”. However, he did not give specifics on the cost of the vehicles and other related expenditures. Daily Monitor interviews with car manufacturers revealed that a 2017/18 model bullet-proof Land Cruiser pick-up costs about $520,000 (about Shs1.9b) while a 2017/18 model bullet-proof Hilux pick-up costs about $166,000 (Shs630m). Therefore to procure bullet-proof Land Cruisers for the 456 MPs at Shs1.9b each, the government would pay out Shs866b while to acquire 2017/18 bullet-proof Hilux model at Shs630m, it would cost government Shs287b” (Solomon Arinaitwe & Moses Kyeyune – ‘MPs security cars to cost Shs1 trillion’ 13.07.2018 link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/MPs-security-cars-cost-Shs1-trillion/688334-4660322-shcp27z/index.html).

This here deal is made for corruption and for ghost costs appearing out of nowhere. This here is just built for that. It is amazing if the government starts procuring, knowing with its history and misuse of state funds. This is the perfect blend, buying vehicles and add-ons on the spread-sheet, claim later added cost without explaining where the funds went. If not order things that never appear. That is also a beauty.

With this in mind, here is the old story that could be re-produced by buying the security detail:

“However, in mid-1988 when Balaki Kirya, minister of state in office of the President in charge of security went to Spain to sign an agreement, he found 260 Santana ‘Land-rovers’ valued at $6.1 million had already been shipped while the agents/lobbyists were negotiating for the importation of another 260 ‘Land-rovers’ now valued at $8 million. The saga leaked to the press. The Weekly Topic of May 3, 1989 had a lead story: ‘Old schemers at their game again, STOP MISUSING PRESIDENT OFFICE’. When contacted, officials from the National Treasury said the purchase was done without the knowledge of the Bank of Uganda (BoU). However, from the BoU archives, on April 8, 1988, a memorandum on the foreign exchange position, by the governor indicated among other payments to be made in the year was for the 260 Land-rovers from Spain for the President’s office and 600 Land-rovers for the ministry of Defence as well as the army uniform from Spain” (Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi – ‘High-profile corruption scandals registered under NRM’ 24.02.2013 link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/High-profile-corruption-scandals-registered-under-NRM/688334-1702448-ndh6w6z/index.html).

I wouldn’t be amazed if the Ministry of Defence, the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister would make a scheme worth paying off for. They would secure kick-backs and additional funds, this is a too important project and the safety of the MPs is the highest priority. Everyone knows that. Not that this is misusing of funds and making sure the MPs are driving around like hostages in their Republic. Nah, that is not important at all.

That the 456 MPs who already are allocated money for cars and upkeep of them. Still, they need a second one, with specialized produced safety gear, seems more like they are traveling past war-zones, than friendly neighbourhoods, what about the actual people that live there, are they safe?

Well, that was bit of subject. However, the reality is that this is made for corruption. Someone in the regime will eat and use this as package to get loaded. We can just wonder who and who will be put in charge, who will fake needed equipment and who will give away knock-offs instead of the real deal.

This MPs security deal can be a gold-mine to the right individual. However, whoever that might be, he has to remember to give the king his cut. That meaning the President in the State House, if not your see quickly the other side of the barrel. He has no issues getting rid of people. That is proven in history too.

I wish I could be hopeful, but to me, they are cooking another Santana Scandal. This time it might be the Hilux Scandal or the Land Cruiser Scandal of 2018.

I just know we will get there, but how, that is up to the magicians within the Kings court. Peace.

South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA): Juba Regime Illegitimate Term Renewal to undercut the Peace Process (13.07.2018)

The Presidential Handshake lives on!

You would think certain scandals and certain ways of thieving the public funds would be died down. The stories would end and the beneficiary of these scandals want it to go away, as it taints their legacy and remaining words about their time as Public Officials, as Clerics and Civil Servants within the State. However, in the matter of the Presidential Handshake, this whole thing just getting more legs and doesn’t die. It is like the President is proud of his bribing ways and proving a point today.

As the NBS TV reports:

“The High Court in Kampala has issued an interim order stopping the Inspector General of Government (IGG) from investigating and forcing beneficiaries of the 6 billion shillings presidential handshake to refund the money” (…) “The public officials had received the money as a token for their role in the 400-million-dollar Heritage Oil arbitration case which Uganda won” (NBS Television, 13.07.2018).

It is like the whole charade was mocked by the legendary report calling it an ‘error’ but not a crime. To give away public funds to civil servants and public officials, as a handshake after winning a court case. It is like the state doesn’t care about their lack of transparency, as long as the cronies are funded.

My favourite quotes from the report published in May 2017 says:

“This “handshake” expenditure was not budgeted URA activity and therefore, a diversion of the UGX 6 Billion without lawful authority was contrary to the PFMA” (…) “H.E. The President’s approval of this “handshake” was bonafide. However, it was an error of judgement” (…) “That all funds paid out of URA account to the beneficiaries of the “handshake” should be refunded” (…) “The Executive should come up with a Bill within 90 days to regulate and streamline the Presidential Donations Budget” (COSASE, P: 45, 2017).

After my calculation were all well beyong 90 days and nothing fruitful has happen, except now the High Court are saying the non-budgeted and the error of judgement by the President is “okay”. They don’t even have to refund, while there is no bill to regulate or streamline any Presidential Donations Budget, because who would dare to cross the authority of the State House and President at this point of time. No one with a clear mind, who will not end up in prison or lose his or her livelihood.

This is a proof of how little power the Parliament have in the current state, as they cannot even look into or question the Presidential Handshake. They cannot even check into the sudden gifts and donations made by the President. Which is a substantial part of the State House yearly budget.

This isn’t funny, this is a mockery of all the ones paying added taxes and paying for state services, as they are being hold in contempt, where a certain amount of big-men and cronies within the state can eat directly of it, without any consequence. Who knows what else the President misuse funds on, right now? Peace.

Reference:

The Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and the State Enterprises (Cosase) – ‘Report of the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and the State Enterprises (COSASE) on the Investigations into the Circumstances under which the reward of UGX 6 BN was given to 42 Public Officers who participated in the Heritage Oil and Gas Arbitration Case’ (May, 2017)

Statement by Uganda Law Society Concerning Continued Illegal Acts by the Security Organization (ISO) – (12.07.2018)

DP World reiterates Validity of Doraleh Container Terminal Concession and Exclusivity Rights (12.07.2018)

Global trade enabler warns against violation or face legal action.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, July 12, 2018 –  DP World (web.DPWorld.com), reiterated today that its concession agreement for the Doraleh Container Terminal (DTC) remains in force, warning that the government’s illegal seizure of the facility doesn’t give the right to any third party to violate the terms of the concession agreement.

DP World statement came in the wake of news reports on the opening of the first phase of the Chinese-built International Free Trade Zone, in violation of DP World’s exclusive management rights.

A DP World Spokesperson said:“This is yet another clear example by the Djiboutian Government of violating its contractual obligations and the rights of foreign investors.”

The spokesperson warns that DP World reserves the right to take all available legal actions, including claims for damages against any third parties that interfere or otherwise violate its contractual rights.

On 22 February 2018, the Government of Djibouti unlawfully seized control of the Terminal, forced DP World employees to leave the country and purported to terminate the Concession Agreement. DP World has commenced an arbitration against the Government of Djibouti before the London Court of International Arbitration and is awaiting the outcome of this process

Statement by the Brexit Steering Group on UK Government White paper (12.07.2018)

Statement by the Brexit Steering Group on the Chequers Statement of 6 July 2018 and on the White Paper released by the UK Government.

The European Parliament’s Brexit Steering Group (BSG), chaired by Guy Verhofstadt, met today and had an extensive exchange of views on the Chequers Statement of 6 July 2018, as well as on the White Paper just released by the UK Government.

In a first reaction, it welcomed both the Statement and the White Paper by the UK Government as a step towards establishing a new relationship between the UK and the EU once the UK is no longer a Member State.

In particular, the BSG welcomed that the UK is proposing that the future EU-UK relationship take the form of an Association Agreement. Given this has been the Parliament’s position from the very beginning the BSG agrees with this approach which would place the future EU-UK relationship in all its dimensions – economic, sectoral, security, foreign policy – on a firm footing within a coherent governance structure.

The BSG reiterated that negotiating a new relationship with the UK post-Brexit is conditional on an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU on the basis of a Withdrawal Agreement (WA). It reconfirmed the Parliament’s position expressed in its resolutions that it will not consent to a WA, including a transition period, without a credible “back stop” provision for the Northern Ireland/Ireland border to prevent a hard border and safeguard the integrity of the single market, faithfully reflecting the commitments entered into in the Joint Report of 8 December 2017. It urged the UK Government to clarify its positions on the “back stop” so that the WA can be finalised as quickly as possible.

Other important elements of the WA, including its governance provisions, in particular a credible dispute settlement mechanism, also still need to be agreed. Moreover, regarding the implementation of the WA, the Parliament expects a positive response to its letter to Home Secretary Sajid Javid on 3 July 2018 and especially concerning the independent authority and the smooth registration of all EU citizens.

The BSG noted that negotiations on the WA and the framework for the future relationship will continue next week. It recalled its position for the closest trade and economic partnership possible while respecting among others the principles of the non-divisibility of the four freedoms, the integrity of the single market, avoiding a sector-by-sector approach and safeguarding financial stability, the preservation of the autonomy of EU decision-making, the safeguarding of the EU legal order and the balance of rights and obligations which any future EU-UK relationship will need to respect. In this framework there will be, for example, no space for outsourcing EU‘s customs competences.

The BSG stated its readiness to provide its input to the negotiation process at any time over the coming weeks and it will carry out a further assessment of the White Paper in the coming days and weeks.

Social Media Tax: Museveni at this point of time, where wisdom dies! Part II

Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery.” Calvin Coolidge

You know something stings, when a certain individual of the stature of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni addresses the Social Media Tax, that he wrote about to his Finance Minister Matia Kasaija on March 2018 and also was passed in May 2018 and levied from the 1st July 2018. This means that the President has twice addressed it since levying it. Therefore, what he says again is to defend this cause. Still, it is not evidence of wisdom or of consideration of how if affects the public. It is like that part of taxation has passed the old-mans head. Not that it is surprising, because its never his fault and never he who hurts people. It is always someone else or a misunderstood.

Internet use can be sometimes for educational purposes and research. This should not be taxed. However, using internet to access social media for chatting, recreation, malice, subversion, inciting murder, is definitely a luxury. As I said in my earlier message, it is, moreover, a luxury that is costly to the country’s economy apart from the shillings the users keep spending to use the internet to access the social media (facebook). The foreign telephone companies accumulate a lot of local shillings from the social media merry- makers or malice promoters; they, then, go to the forex bureaus and buy the dollars I have earned from my milk products, from coffee, from tea etc etc and, guess what, send abroad (send back the very dollars we had just earned) this hard currency. Thereby, putting pressure on our shillings. In this heammorage, they are joined by the people of games betting where, again, betting machines are owned by the foreigners. This is not only extravagance but also parasitism. Our people are unknowingly being used by foreign interests (telephone companies, social media companies) to parasite on us- to take away our hard earned dollars in order to have fun or promote malice on social media. That is why a social media tax is, really, a minimum. Instead of re-introducing foreign exchange control which other countries still have, we have simply said: “Please since you are endlessly having fun or expressing your views at the expense of the dollars we have earned, make a modest contribution to the building of the country”. Those involved, should, surely, happily, at least, do this minimum” (Yoweri Kaguta Museveni – ‘President Responds to feed back to earlier statement on the new social media and mobile money taxes’ 12.07.2018).

It is like he doesn’t understand what he does, the shillings are not taken from the Foreign Companies licensed to trade and operate in Uganda. No, this tax is still going directly to the citizens. So, if the President was seriously offended by the operations of these Telcoms and their businesses. However, the Social Media and the other Exercise Duty are going directly taxation of the public, not the businesses.

Therefore, when he complains about what people write on the Social Media, he himself are in the same regard calling people again parasites. He is calling foreign companies evil leeches feeding of the public. Seriously, he speaking and calling them out. The President says all citizens on Social Media are: “malice, subversion, inciting murder, is definitely a luxury”.

So it is okay to do malice, subversion, inciting murder as long as you pay 200 shillings a-day, than it is cool? Is that what he is saying? Who is promoting malice on Social Media?

It is like the man saying foreign companies are parasites, the man who has called former allies bean weevil and himself the Leopards Anus. Are saying other people are malicious. Maybe, he should clean his own language, before lecturing people online. Its more that here. That is why I only took a small fraction of the piece he wrote. Because seriously, it is not worth your time and needs to be checked for what is truth and fiction.

If he had a problem with Foreign Telecoms being licensed and operating in Uganda. He shouldn’t have burned and sold-off Uganda Telecom to the Libyans, neither made sure Airtel, MTN and other companies could take the market shares. If they couldn’t do that in legal ways, they would have been suspended and lost their licenses. However, the state has accepted their business and they are there for a reason. These companies are not leaching money, but creating business in the marketplace, also the state has allowed it to happen.

It is not a modest contribution to the state of taking 200 shillings a day, when it cost 70,000 shillings if they do it daily. It is about 20% of the lowest paid yearly salaries of the civil servants by his government. The NRM has failed the people, they are not only taking their PAYE, VAT, Income Tax on the Cellphone Companies and their services, but also the Social Media Tax and Mobile Money Tax (On all three stages of the operation). This is just an insult to them for doing that and not just a modest contribution.

A modest contribution would be to give up the confidential spending on him and the State House, also cut the budget of the State House in half. That is if he cares about the government services, these supposed funds collected this way might also go there. I doubt this funds collected with the Social Media Tax and Mobile Money Tax will go to roads or schools, because if he had cared about that, the funds would have gone there more often for the last 32 years.

It is insulting to people’s intelligence, the second lecture made by Museveni on the subject. Still, not the decent wisdom the man should have dropped. It is like they are continuing to blame the companies, but still defending of taxing the people. If the companies are the problem, tax them and their operations. Be real. Shut up! Peace.

SPLM-IO: On Juba’s Extension of the Term of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) – (12.07.2018)