Uganda Refuses to Approve Money for Tree Planting
10/21/99
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Title: House Refuses To Approve US$14.8m For Tree Planting
Source: New Vision (Kampala)
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: October 21, 1999
Kampala - Members of Parliament yesterday refused to authorise the
US$14.8m loan sought for a tree planting and environmental
conservation project, writes Vision Reporter.
The members of the committee on natural resources requested the
minister in-charge of environment, Kezimbira Miyingo, to furnish the
details on the master plan of the project. The MPs said Miyingo
lacked a comprehensive plan to justify the need for borrowing. The
committee was chaired by Aston Kajara (Mwenge South).
Miyingo was seeking the committee's support to secure a loan from
Africa Development Bank (ADB) for the South-Eastern and South Western
Integrated Water shed. He said out of the total amount, US$5m would
be a grant and the balance a loan to the Government.
He said tree planting was to be a major activity of the five-year
project for Pallisa, Tororo, Mbarara, Ntungamo and Kabale districts
as the first beneficiaries.
Livingstone Okello Okello (Chwa) was concerned about the frequency of
borrowing. "We are approving loans nearly every month, we do it
blindly," he said.
Kakuuto MP Manuel Pinto asked whether the ministry could seek support
for the project free of cost.
However, Eddie Kwizera (Bufumbira East) criticised the borrowing of
money for tree planting since it deprived locals in the sector of an
income.