Civil society organizations have asked the government to focus its resources on the operationalization of the different industrial parks spread across the country by investing in critical infrastructure such as electricity, water, roads, and ICT infrastructure to drive industrialization, job creation, and import substitutions.

This, and others, are part of the seven priorities that civil society wants the government to focus on during the 2025/26 financial year.

In a joint paper, presented by Dr Ar- thur Bainomugisha, the Acode executive director during the National Budget Conference, the civil society said there was limited functionality of industrial parks in local governments, which hampers industrial development, job creation, and economic growth.

"The parks are falling short of supporting local production and strengthening value chains, which are crucial for sustainable development and long-term economic success," he said, noting that in the next budget, the government should allocate resources to operationalize industrial parks, which would enhance value chain linkages between local farmers and producers with industries, particularly in agriculture, dairy, and fisheries sector.

Other focus areas, Dr Bainomugisha said include the development of local government transport infrastructure, increase in climate change financing to reduce vulnerability to extreme weather conditions, and enhance local government financing to enable decentralized services delivery.

"Limited financial autonomy and inadequate resources often hinder the effectiveness of local governments fulfilling their mandates. On average, local governments receive approximately 11 percent of the national budget," Dr. Bainomugisha noted that a study by A code had indicated that Shs3.1 trillion due to local governments had been retained by ministries, departments, and agencies, despite the Ministry of Finance issuing a circular that such resources be sent to local governments.

Civil society also wants the government to focus on domestic and urban waste management, which continues to present challenges to Ugandans, prudently manage debt, and enhance the implantation of the parish development model to benefit the wider society

GENERAL ELECTIONS

Change of leadership

Civil society organizations, Dr Bainomugisha said, also noted that there was a need for the government to plan for local government leadership changes, which would happen in the second half of the 2025/26 financial year following the February 2026 general and local government elections.

 

BY MARTIN LUTHER OKETCH