Business

By The Independent Reporters Paul Wade, World Bank Senior Economist and Chair of the Joint Budget Support Framework Task Force explains how the newly agreed Joint Assessment Framework (JAF) works. What challenges is the Joint Assessment Framework (JAF) addressing? The JAF is a tool for helping the government of Uganda …

By Patrick Kagenda The Eastern and Southern African Trade Development Bank (PTA Bank) announcement this month that it had raised Shs 8.5 billion of its Shs 40 billion corporate bond has focused fresh attention on Uganda’s capital market. At the launch of the Shs 8.5 bond on the Uganda Securities …

By Patrick Kagenda The PTA bank last week raised Shs 8.5 Bn in the first tranche of its Shs 40Bn bond issued on the Ugandan market. Dr. Michael Gondwe, the PTA bank president explains its strategy. How do you rate the performance of your bond? The bond took quite a …

By Patrick Kagenda Two months after the ministry of Health recommended a ban on production, sell, and consumption of alcohol packed in sachets allegedly because it had killed 18 people, the measure remains controversial in parliament, Cabinet, and the public. The Independent’s Patrick Kagenda talked to the Uganda National Bureau …

By Amon B. Mbekiza Parliament is in a tag-of war with the Foreign Affairs Ministry over Shs 17 billion the ministry needs to build a market for Uganda traders in Juba, Southern Sudan. Whatever reasons parliament has, this money should not be passed. For starters, this is the wrong ministry …

By Patrick Kagenda Buoyed by returning off-shore investors especially in the oil sector, increased remittances from Ugandans working abroad, and inflows from exports, the shilling has appreciated 25% against the dollar over a six months ending October 31. Globally the dollar has seen some depreciation lately, against other currencies. It …

  By Patrick Kagenda Works and Transport minister John Nasasira’s decision to suspend weighbridges across the country might finally put Uganda in harmony with its regional neighbours. Nasasira allegedly suspended the operation of weighbridges after it was discovered that the weigh bridge attendants were extorting money from truck owners, operators …

By Patrick Kagenda MTN has set a precident in acquiring quick money from Uganda’s financial market. It is the first to raise money through a syndicated loan in the country’s history. Will other corporations also follow? Bank of Uganda Governor Tumusime Mutebile says MTN’s Shs 200 billion syndicated bank loan …

By Joseph Were Tension over jobs, residence and land The signing of the East African Common Market protocols in Kampala last month could not have come at a better time for the region. The African Development Bank (AfDB) is predicting that East Africa may this year record the continent’s best …

By The Independent Team On October 16th 2009, University of Oxford’s Prof. Paul Collier gave a talk at Serena Conference Centre in Kampala on the prospects of an oil windfall for Uganda. Below we produce a slightly edited version of his speech. Prof. Paul CollierA country’s competitiveness rest on two …