Tag: UNFPA
Moyo District planned cutbacks for FY 2017/18 to an already tired Local Government Structure!
The Local Government Budget Framework Paper for the Financial Year of 2017/2018 for the Moyo District of the Republic of Uganda is daming. It is tragic, the ways the budget is inadequate and is proving the lack of will of governance. The way the district is being underfunded and not spending needed tax-payers monies. But this is just one district in the Republic, still if this is a proof of the problems in Uganda. This is one out of dozens districts, but the little drops of issues has also been showed in the MPS of the KCCA for the coming financial year. Therefore, the quotes from the Moyo District, proves the lack of care of the local district institutions and their staff. As the lacking structure is evident by the Framework paper. Take a look!
Hampering implementation:
“Poor road conditions and inadequate infrastructure limiting community access to productive land, increasing cost of production and access to markets and social services, inadequate and limited supply of electricity that hinders promotion of value addition and food processing, inadequate skilled manpower and under staffing where the current staffing level is at 52%, negative community attitude and cultural practices that impact negatively on health seeking behaviour and access to education, high population” (Vote: 539, 2017).
Cutbacks to Local Government budget:
“Total planned revenue for FY 2017/2018 is Uganda Shillings 22,463,673,000 compared to FY 2016-2017 of Uganda Shillings 25,617,772,000 indicating a decline of 12% in revenue budget. The FY 2017//2018 total revenue has reduced by Uganda Shillings 3,154,099,000,000 .The major decline in revenue budget has been witnessed in Donor funding by Uganda Shillings 2,396,897,000 mainly UNICEF, UNFPA and . Secondly Locally Raised Revenue and Conditional Grants have been reduced” Vote: 539, P: 3, 2017).
Planned Revenue for 2017/18:
“(i) Locally Raised Revenues
(ii) Central Government Transfers
(iii) Donor Funding
Out of total Local Revenue of Uganda Shillings:
699,937,000, Uganda Shillings 148,794,000 is Taxes and Uganda Shillings 551,142,000 is Non taxes.. The major sources of the taxes include; Land fees of Uganda Shillings 9,060,000, Application fees of Uganda Shillings 8,200,000, Business licenses of Uganda Shillings 33,000,000, and other licenses of Uganda Shillings 24,721,000 Animal and crop related levies of Uganda Shillings 30,521,000, Registration of Businesses of Uganda Shillings 13,222,000,
The Total Central Government Transfers:
Is Uganda Shillings 18,059,155,000. The Conditional Grants amount to Uganda Shillings 13,813,,307,000 (76.5%), Dicretionary Grants amount to Uganda Shillings 3,698,541,000 (20.5%), Other Transfers of Uganda Shillings 547,307,000 (3%) Major source of the Central Government Transfers are; Sector Conditional Grants ( Health, Education, Production and Maketing, Water, and Administration), District Discretionary Development Grants and District Discretionary
The total Donor funds:
To the district is only UGX 3,704,581,000. The low allocation of was because some of the development partners like BAYLOR Uganda and SuSTAIN are no longer receving funds from their Donors outside Uganda” (Vote: 539, P: 6, 2017).
“Low Primary and Secondary School completion rates
The Primary School completion rate stands at 26.1% which is far below the national average. Drop out rates at Secondary schools is also high at 35%. The challenge is caused by low parental/ community participation and involvement in schools.
Inadequancy of teachers houses in Schools and poor school sanitation
Only 29.2% of the teachers in Primary Schools are accomodated at school. This causes tardiness and late coming among teachers. Besides effective transfer of staff is a big challenge. The Pupil Stance ratios in schools are still appalling.
Inadequancy of Science and Mathematics teachers in secondary schools:
It is extremely hard to attract and retain science and Mathematics teachers in the secondary schools. The few available once retired or died and never replaced by the Ministry of Education and Sports” (Vote: 539, P: 15, 2017).
“The three biggest challenges faced by the department in improving local government service:
Lack of Transport: Planning Unit has no running vehicle nor motor cycle hence affects programme implementation.
Weak internet connection: The internet installed for Birth registration is weak hence affects data entry and demotivates the Data entrants since payment is according to records entered.
Erratic power supply: The line connecting the Unit has been constanly inturrupted during printing hence leading to loss of records” (Vote: 539, P: 23, 2017).
It isn’t only on the Framework Paper that the troubles of Moyo District comes to surface, as the issues of the District is evident. The Moyo district needs certainly more funds and more direction, as the district is understaffed. This is with the mind of not only having enough people in the needed positions, but also have the equipment and buildings for the state to deliver needed services for the citizens.
“Moyo district councilors have protested what they call deliberate refusal to pay their sitting allowances by the office of the Chief Administrative Officer. During a council meeting to pass the 2017/18 budget, the councilors almost paralysed the sitting after putting to task the Chief Administrative Officer to explain why they were not being paid their arrears” (…) “Chaiga Warned the CAO to be serious in handling the matters of the councilors because such delays can embarrass in the eyes of their electorates. “We should not make such things to occur again in the lives of the councilors”, he said” (…) “Grandfield Omonda, the Chief administrative officer however blamed the delay in paying the councilors to low local revenue generation. Omonda said the district performed poorly in terms of local revenue collection leading to delay in clearing the arrears. “We have performed low in collecting the local revenues and money to pay the council sittings comes direct from the collection and the money is generated from lower local government at sub county levels”, Mr Omonda said” (Iceta, 2017).
So the Local Government are blamed by the appointed men of the Central Government, as the Budget Framework Paper is showing how it is lacking. Even the CAO and the Councilors are trading shots of the lack of funds and their salaries, as the representatives in the district isn’t even getting their supposed allowances. But they are not the only who has misgivings, the are on the top and still isn’t getting what they are supposed to. The whole districts lacks the needed manpower and revenue to run. That is a systematic maladministration that is totally normal under the National Resistance Movement. This is their system and their works over decades rule. Therefore, the NRM haven’t had the priority to fix or make sure the districts are running sufficiently. That is why the basics isn’t there and the CAO of Moyo Oryono Grandfield Omonda, who reported this all to the Parliament for the voting. Peace.
Reference:
Iceta, Scovin – ‘Moyo District Councilors Protest Unpaid Arrears’ (25.05.2017) link: http://westnilepress.org/moyo-district-councilors-protest-unpaid-arrears/
Republic of Uganda – ‘Vote: 539 Moyo District’ – Local Government Budget Framework Paper – Financial Year 2017/2018
Share this:
Press Release No215/2015 – Lusaka Hosts Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Capacity Building Workshop on Ending Child Marriage and Other Harmful Tradition Practices in Africa (07.09.2015)
Share this:
CSO’s and Multilateral Organizations approach on the spread of Ebola in West Africa.
This Ebola disease has taken its toll and that why I have made this blog post. With various sources quoting in the recent week on the matter, to prove what the nations does and don’t. Also too show the progress of multilateral organizational co-ops in the affected countries in the West Africa.
This is what the US Government entities have to say about people with Ebola reaching its shores;
“Today, as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s ongoing response to prevent the spread of Ebola to the United States, we are announcing travel restrictions in the form of additional screening and protective measures at our ports of entry for travelers from the three West African Ebola-affected countries. These new measures will go into effect tomorrow (…) Today, I am announcing that all passengers arriving in the United States whose travel originates in Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea will be required to fly into one of the five airports that have the enhanced screening and additional resources in place (…) We currently have in place measures to identify and screen anyone at all land, sea and air ports of entry into the United States who we have reason to believe has been present in Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea in the preceding 21 days” (DHS Press Office, 21.10.2014).
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that public health authorities will begin active post-arrival monitoring of travelers whose travel originates in Liberia, Sierra Leone, or Guinea. These travelers are now arriving to the United States at one of five airports where entry screening is being conducted by Customs and Border Protection and CDC. Active post-arrival monitoring means that travelers without febrile illness or symptoms consistent with Ebola will be followed up daily by state and local health departments for 21 days from the date of their departure from West Africa” (CDCP, 22.10.2014).
Multilateral organizational response to health issues recently:
IMF addresses first: “The strong growth trends of recent years in the sub-Saharan Africa region are expected to continue. The region’s economy is forecast to continue growing at a fast clip, expanding by about 5 percent in 2014, the same level as in 2013, and accelerating to around 5¾ percent in 2015, underpinned by continued public investment in infrastructure, buoyant services sectors, and strong agricultural production. This growth momentum is particularly pronounced in the region’s Low-Income Countries, where activity is forecast to accelerate to 6¾-7 percent in 2014-15” (…)”This positive picture, however, co-exists with the dire situation in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, where, beyond the unbearable number of deaths, suffering, and social dislocation, the Ebola outbreak is exacting a heavy economic toll, with economic spillovers starting to materialize in some neighboring countries” (…)”In the countries currently affected by the Ebola outbreak, fiscal accounts are coming under considerable pressure. Ideally, support should be provided through grants from the donor community, to enable the countries to accommodate higher Ebola-related spending and to help avoid an even more pronounced decline in economic activity. However, when grants are not immediately forthcoming, and provided that the public debt levels remain manageable, fiscal deficits should be allowed to widen, subject to the availability of financing” (IMF, 20.10.2014)
Tostan addresses secondly: “Guinea has been confronted with the serious Ebola epidemic which, due to the surprising apparition of the disease and the unpreparedness of health authorities, has taken the lives of an unprecedented number of families and health workers. Despite preventative measures taken by Guinean authorities with the support of development partners, Ebola persists in the country” (…)”Using our approach of organized diffusion, 17 Tostan supervisors will hold educational discussions in local languages to raise awareness on the Ebola virus. 2,784 community members from 116 Community Management Committees (CMCs) and the Local Council for Children and Families (CLEF – in French) will educate their relatives, friends, and at least three districts and neighboring villages” (…)”Other preventative measures include the distribution and installation of hand-washing kits in each Tostan office in Conakry, Labe, and Faranah by the National Coordination of Tostan Guinea. The Governor and Prefect of Faranah, who visited the regional Tostan office, congratulated Tostan for putting in safety measures to help prevent the spread of Ebola amongst the staff and the 116 partner communities, as well as acknowledging the hundreds of other adopted communities reached through organized diffusion” (Tostan, 20.10.2014).
UNFPA addresses it as a third: “The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today reaffirmed its commitment to a partnership with Amref Health Africa aimed at improving the health of women and children in Africa. Speaking at the exchange of a signed Memorandum of Understanding that makes Amref Health Africa an implementing partner for UNFPA in Africa, Dr Laura Laski, Chief of Sexual and Reproductive Health at UNFPA, said the partnership intended to strengthen health systems by training midwives to building their capacity to respond to health issues, particularly those related to maternal, neonatal and adolescent health” (…)”She emphasised that high maternal mortality in Africa is an unfinished agenda of the Millennium Development Goals, and one of the critical issues that will be discussed at the Amref Health Africa International Conference to be held in Nairobi from November 24-26. She urged African governments to increase their commitment and contribution to health development, as well as individuals, corporates and institutions” (UNFPA, 23.10.2014).
WHO addresses is a fourth: “WHO convened a meeting with high-ranking government representatives from Ebola-affected countries and development partners, civil society, regulatory agencies, vaccine manufacturers and funding agencies yesterday to discuss and agree on how to fast track testing and deployment of vaccines in sufficient numbers to impact the Ebola epidemic” (…)”Results from phase 1 clinical trials of most advanced vaccines are expected to be available in December 2014 and efficacy trials in affected countries also will begin in this timeframe, with protocols adapted to take into consideration safety and immunogenicity results as they become available” (…)”Pharmaceutical companies developing the vaccines committed to ramp up production capacity for millions of doses to be available in 2015, with several hundred thousand ready before the end of the first half of the year” (…)”Community engagement is key and work should be scaled up urgently in partnership between local communities, national governments, NGOs and international organizations” (WHO, 24.10.2014).
African Development Bank group together with a collective or affiliates is the five one to address it: “Leaders of three Pan-African institutions – the African Union Commission’s Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the African Development Bank’s Dr Donald Kaberuka, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s Dr. Carlos Lopes – concluded a solidarity tour on Friday 24 October 2014 in Conakry, Guinea” (…) ”They met with Heads of Government, cabinet Ministers, parliamentarians, civil society and media in the affected countries, as well as with leaders of two neighbouring countries, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Ghana also hosted the delegation in its capacity as the current President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)” (…)”They recognised the stepped up contributions of the international community in providing financial, technical, infrastructural and medical support to the fight against the EVD, and urged all to do still more” (…)”the AfDB’s contribution – currently at over 220 million USD – includes supporting the international response, budgetary support for the deployment of health workers from across Africa and the diaspora, as well as supporting the health systems in the three countries, including training local health extension and community workers” (…)”It felt that the virus – and perceptions about it – cannot be allowed to affect the economic prospects of the fastest growing continent. The group strongly believed that the Mano River Basin countries, now at the epicenter of the epidemic, continue to have some of the best economic prospects of the continent. In continuing to call for a lifting of all travel bans, it was pleased to hear that Côte d’Ivoire has resumed flights to Guinea this week, and will do so with Sierra Leone and Liberia in the coming days” (ADBG, 25.10.2014).
RMS Stats on Ebola:
(RMS, 23.10.2014)
(RMS, 23.10.2014)
I think this is all for today! Peace.
Links:
African Development Bank Group: ‘AUC, AfDB and ECA confident that countries will beat Ebola Virus Disease’ (25.10.2014) Link: http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/article/auc-afdb-and-eca-confident-that-countries-will-beat-ebola-virus-disease-13667/
Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDCP): ‘CDC Announces Active Post-Arrival Monitoring for Travelers from Impacted Countries’ (22.10.2014) Link: http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p1022-post-arrival-monitoring.html
DHS Press Office: ‘Statement by Secretary Johnson on Travel Restrictions and Protective Measures to Prevent the Spread of Ebola to the United States’ (21.10.2014) Link: http://www.dhs.gov/news/2014/10/21/statement-secretary-johnson-travel-restrictions-and-protective-measures-prevent
IMF: ‘IMF Projects Robust Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, Amid Shifting Global Forces’ (20.10.2014) Link: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2014/pr14475.htm
TOSTAN: ‘Tostan involved in awareness raising activities on Ebola in Guinea’ (20.10.2014) Link: http://www.tostan.org/news/press-release-tostan-involved-awareness-raising-activities-ebola-guinea
UNFPA: ‘UNFPA and Amref Health Africa seal Partnership to Boost the Health of Africa’s Women and Children’ (23.10.2014) Link: http://www.pressreleasepoint.com/unfpa-and-amref-health-africa-seal-partnership-boost-health-africa-s-women-and-children
WHO: ‘WHO convenes industry leaders and key partners to discuss trials and production of Ebola vaccine’ (24.10.2015) Link: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2014/ebola-vaccines-production/en/
RMS: ‘RMS Develops World’s First Probabilistic Model of West African Ebola Outbreak, Finds Current Outbreak Has Potential to be Deadliest Infectious Disease Event in a Century’ (23.10.2014) Link :http://www.rms.com/about/newsroom/press-releases/press-detail/2014-10-23/rms-develops-worlds-first-probabilistic-model-of-west-african-ebola-outbreak-finds-current-outbreak-has-potential-to-be-deadliest-infectious-disease-event-in-a-century
MinBane 