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Finance minister Matia Kasaija
Finance minister Matia Kasaija once boasted of the economy skyrocketing. Indeed, it has happened with the current GDPt 6.3 percent but this is seemingly in the pockets of a few Ugandans.
There’s now an outcry to government to link macro to micro economic growth because many Ugandans are living on the wrong side of growth with poverty levels increasing from 19 percent to 21 percent.
Economists worry that those thriving are also one bill away from poverty.
Speaking on poverty recently, President Museveni said: “We need to increase household income that’s why we putting money to Parish Development Model.”
Uganda’s battle against poverty and increasing household income is one big puzzle President Museveni is yet to unlock.
To make matters worse the poverty are increasing from 19 percent to 21 percent, policy analyst Julius Mukunda says the country is surviving not thriving the economic growth shows.
“Ugandans are one bill away from poverty,” Mukunda says.
Intriguingly, the claims come on back of claims of Uganda’s attainment middle income status.
Mukunda said: “We’ve been fighting to get to middle income status why I don’t need middle income status to see poverty I get outside my gate and it’s poverty everywhere.”
Economist Augustus Nuwagaba says government needs to do more other than provision of infrastructure.
“Ugandans don’t sleep on roads or eat electricity they need the money in their pockets,” Nuwagaba says.
He adds that despite the low inflation and a progressing economic growth, most Ugandans are living on the wrong side of growth.
“This is the challenge to the government, that’s there’s need to link macro to micro growth.”