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The rationale is to safeguard the health and value for money for consumers. The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is mandated to enforce and monitor this. However, in the past two decades, there has been a rise in counterfeit products on the market despite UNBS’s attempt to reduce these.
Kiberu Jonah, Kibira Vicent, Frank Kisakye
The Observer
The question still lingers as to why the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) conducts little or no stakeholder consultations during the formulation of the national quality control policies
The rationale is to safeguard the health and value for money for consumers. The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is mandated to enforce and monitor this. However, in the past two decades, there has been a rise in counterfeit products on the market despite UNBS’s attempt to reduce these.
The Local Government Act (1997) does not provide guidelines or framework within which street vendors should operate. The Kampala Capital City Act (2010) provides for village urban councils and street committees whose role does not define how they will manage street vendors.
The evening or night economy describes economic activities taking place in the evening after many people accomplish daytime employment/activities. The night economy is a source of employment and additional revenue for local governments particularly Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), and in the process, it will boost local tourism due to the attractiveness it brings.
Stories of people being robbed of millions of shillings from their homes, or car boots, are rampant. This is weird, considering the different safe financial platforms available today. Currently, mobile phone subscribers in Uganda stand at more than 28.3 million customers, implying that many Ugandans can embrace digital technology.
In Kampala, a large percentage of traders engage in informal businesses for instance in market centres, public transport, restaurants while others operate along streets.
Kampala CBD is the busiest trading zone with the majority of the traders dealing in clothing, food and beverages, electronics, construction hardware materials, pharmaceuticals, small and medium industries etc.
“Even when we try to increase transport fares, people cannot afford. The economy is down all our clients do not have money,” one of the taxi drivers on Kampala-Masaka road lamented.
There is need for price legislation by the government to reduce consumer exploitation. The government should set a maximum price above which fuel companies must not exceed, purposely to minimize the rate of price increase.
The permanent secretary to the ministry of Finance, Ramathan Ggoobi contended that the current spike in fuel prices has nothing to do with economics. He argued that it was caused by a temporary exogenous shock caused by administrative decisions to control the spread of COVID-19.
The Parliament of Uganda and cabinet should dialogue with Uganda Revenue Authority, Electricity Regulatory Authority and the Ministry of Finance to lower VAT on electricity from 18 per cent to at most 10 per cent in order to lower the cost of living,” he says.
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