Lt. Gen. James Mugira, the Managing Director NEC told journalists on Wednesday that they have attempted to engage the responsible authorities on exploring other financing models but haven’t received any reply.
The construction
work at the Jinja based Kiira motors cooperation plant has slowed down because
of delayed government funding. So far only Shillings 80billion out of the
Shillings 143billion approved by the cabinet in 2018 for the construction work
has been released.
The Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF business unit commonly known as the
national enterprise cooperation-NEC is undertaking the works, which started in
2019. The project was expected to be ready by June 2020.
However, there have
been delays for the purchase of essential construction materials due to the quarterly
funding system making the project fall behind by 14 months.
Lt. Gen. James Mugira, the Managing Director NEC told
journalists on Wednesday that they have attempted to engage the responsible
authorities on exploring other financing models but haven’t received any reply.
//cue in: “I promised the…
Cue out…was not successful,”.
Prof. Stevens Tickodri-Togboa, the Executive Chairperson of Kiira
motors says that the project is 89% complete on the outer view. He, however,
says that essential interior components are still pending.
Tickodri-Togboa says that they are liaising with responsible
government agencies to revise the mode of funding so as to expedite the
construction works and ensure that the project is completed and handed over before the
end of this year.
//cue in: “what maybe slowed…
Cue out…slowed us most,”.
Tickodri-Togboa stresses that there has been misinformation within the public
domain as some individuals allege that the cooperation lacks the capacity to
manufacture vehicles locally arguing that most of the essential parts required
for the automotive industry are imported since local investors have not yet
embraced the sector.
Tickodri-Togboa says that their team of engineers has designed a booklet
containing detailed specifications of the 30,000 spare parts required in the
construction of standard vehicles and they have since rallied capable members
of the public to invest in the automotive sector so as to reduce the burden of
importing materials that can be sourced locally.
//Cue in: “we, the engineers…
Cue out…that, we need,”//
Monica Musenero, the minister in charge of Science, Technology and innovation,
says that she has formed a hub of engineers who will be mandated with the task
of brainstorming on different ways of improving the automotive industry.
“This country has all sorts of engineers and is well endowed with several unexploited
minerals, therefore, through this research hub, they will continuously
brainstorm and devise better means of improving the automotive industry,” she
says.
