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The government has officially launched the digital number project with the first phase of the exercise targeting government-owned vehicles.The respective ministries of Works and Transport alongside that of the Security are overseeing the project.Speaking at the launching exercise on Wednesday, the Works and Transport Minister, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, said that the decision to have the roll-out this month was passed during an October 24 meeting attended by top leaders.“It was agreed that issuance of the new registration plates commences with the government vehicles so that we live by example,” Gen Katumba told guests at the Works offices in Kampala.“A cross-section of government vehicles belonging to the Office of the President, Uganda Police, and the Ministry of Works and Transport have been selected to be issued with the number plates today,” he added.The installation exercise comes after government failed to meet the initial July 1 deadline. Gen Katumba said it was because they had encountered several challenges, including logistical ones, forcing them to postpone the exercise.New vehicle and motorcycle owners will pay Shs714,000 while exchanging existing plates will cost Shs150,000 for motor vehicles and Shs50,000 for motorcycles.President Museveni during the 2021 State-of-the-Nation address said he had instructed the Works and Security ministries to install digital number plates to help in the tracking of criminals who use vehicles and motorcycles.The rollout exercise follows the signing of an agreement between the government and the Russian Company M/s Joint Stock Company Global Security in July 2021 to provide the country with digital number plates, a system that will involve mounting tracking Global Positioning Position (GPS) chips in vehicles at the owner’s expense.Security Minister, Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi said the government did not put any money into the project but rather, it was the Russian company, Joint Stock Company Global Security bank-rolling the project.“The company is putting its money but over the period of ten years, they will recoup their money, so, there had to be involvement of the Ministry of Finance to work out a model and have this project,” Gen Muhwezi said while emphasizing that the company will be able to collect back their money without hurting Ugandans.The top government officials have assured the public they will continue addressing the fears regarding the digital number plates project.eoluka@ug.nationmedia.com Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info
Source:Daily Monitor
Story by Esther Oluka