The Daily Monitor Story of Wednesday; February 10, 2010:"Govt. forced us into a secret CHOGM debt - aviation body," is indeed not good news for Ugandans who have their country at heart.  Particulars are that, "Government %u201Cforced%u201D the Civil Aviation Authority to borrow Shs71 billion to pay for repairs at Entebbe Airport ahead of the 2007 Chogm meeting, MPs heard on Tuesday, February 9; 2010.  The loan, taken at commercial rates, raises the cost of hosting the Commonwealth Meeting to close to Shs500 billion!  "CAA Managing Director Rama Makuza told MPs investigating the use of taxpayers%u2019 money on hosting Chogm yesterday that former Finance Minister Ezra Suruma, had guaranteed the %u201Csecret loan%u201D from Stanbic Bank."  If Government is working in the interest of the country at large, how come this matter was not referred to Parliament for approval.  This and a number of other deals should be transparent, nothing short of that. 

 

 

Uganda%u2019s gateway, Entebbe International Airport, EIA, embarked on an ambitious programme for development of capital projects. With the infrastructural rehabilitation programme complete, the airport was set to witness capital-in-flows from both the public and private sector for development of infrastructure necessary to meet the demand projected in a 20-year Master Plan study that was carried out by the US-based Transportation Consultancy, LPA.  Such a plan is good for the country and no implementation bit of it should be done secretly.  Ugandans elect their leaders to transparently lead the country for a better future.  It becomes disturbing to learn that as much as 71bn could have been borrowed from a commercial bank to help the CHOGM programmes without involving Parliament.  This petition is therefore meant to address this matter and to ask the Government of Uganda; the Executive arm to do Government business lawfully. 

%u201CThe Constitution of Uganda is clear; it%u2019s Parliament that approves loans but this one was secretly handled at exorbitant commercial rates and taxpayers are going to lose billions.%u201D

Thank you.