Economy/Finance

H.E the President, you are wrong on rising Food Prices
By James Okot

Sir, you missed a point for you to passionately state that the rising food prices is a blessing for the country yet millions and millions of Ugandans cannot afford the basics. You should by now be knowing that the biggest percentage of Ugandans survive on less than a dollar a day, now how do you expect them to afford the basics when prices are skyrocketing day and night.

For the food prices to go high cannot be good to Ugandans whatsoever. For the Head of state to specifically point out food prices and living out other items whose prices have doubled in the few months, is a big disappointment to the people of Uganda and indeed, he owes us an apology.

First the prices to go high does not mean improved business performance neither does it mean economic growth in anyway, this instead portrays a state of rising inflation which is dangerous to us economically hence it will cause social and political disorder.

Though prices of almost everything is going up, salaries in public sector is still static, the private sector to date pays peanuts to the employees, how then Mr. President do you expect those low salary earners to survive in this banana nation. The so called investors too have instead exploited the workers, you remember what happened to the tri-stars girls, where are they now. Additionally unemployment is too high coupled with lack of National employment policy hence making workers vulnerable to exploitation.

Its not true however that the NRM government is responsible for the rising prices of commodities, but this largely can be resulting from the widening market base from our neighbors i.e. southern Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, DRC,but the NRM government must do something to avert the likely catastrophe.

How can prices of food items go high imagine in the agricultural economy? Majority of the population are agriculturists, but now why is there food shortage? Who is responsible? .is it the NRM regime or the people?.

Long Live Uganda.

The Writer is a Public Monitor at Public Opinions