Ugandan filmmaker Loukman Ali at the weekend received an award for his movie “The Girl In The Yellow Jumper” which won East Africa’s best movie in the African Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCAs). The AMVCAs are annual awards organized by MultiChoice to recognize outstanding achievements in television and film. The Girl In The Yellow Jumper was released in 2020. Loukman beat fellow Ugandan filmmakers like Mariam Ndagire and Ayeny Steven as well as others from Kenya, Sarah Hassan, Ayeny T. Steve, Raphael Emmanuel, Denise Kibisu Ngubuini, and Dolapo Adeleke. The award event took place in Nigeria.
Vice President Maj Jessica Alupo last week chaired the 26th meeting of the Presidential Economic Council that discussed strategies to reduce the cost of credit in Uganda. The Council, composed of Government, and other players from the private sector as well as the Uganda Manufacturers’ Association (UMA) and Private Sector Foundation is charged with the task of dealing with strategic National Economic Policy development.
The meeting at State House Entebbe discussed a paper by the National Planning Authority themed ‘Reducing the cost of credit through Public Investment in Banking.’
The meeting, also attended by PM Robinah Nabanjja, Deputy Attorney General Kafuuzi and Minister of Economic Monitoring, Peter Ogwang addressed and made proposals on key interventions and policy measures that would see the cost of credit reduce drastically. Some of the proposals included banking policy reviews, reducing domestic borrowing by Government and increasing of investment in public banking institutions among others.
Alupo stressed the importance of debating research based ideas that seek to address issues which affect ordinary citizens, the economy and consequently, the cost of doing business. “
The meeting had expert presentations and discussions from Prof Pamela Mbabazi, Chairperson of the National Planning Authority accompanied by the ED Dr. Joseph Muvawala, the Deputy Governor-Bank of Uganda Dr. Michael Atingi-Ego, and several senior officials from Uganda Development Bank, Uganda Manufacturers Association, Uganda Investment Authority and the Private Sector Foundation.
Samia Suluhu Hassan, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, was in Uganda for a two-day State visit at the invitation of her counterpart President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. While in Uganda, President Suluhu held talks with her host aimed at further strengthening the historical and fraternal relations between Uganda and Tanzania. President Suluhu also addressed business executives, policy makers, the private sector and other high-level Government officials at a Business Dialogue with the view of abolishing tariff and non-tariff barriers that frustrate the flow of business and employment opportunities for populations of the two countries. The Business Dialogue among other things addressed job creation, boosting bilateral trade in goods and services, enhancing Foreign Direct Investments and promoting tourism.
Opposition stalwart and former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president Col Dr Kizza Besigye was last week arrested as he left his home to walk to town in protest against the current rising commodity prices in the country.
The four time presidential candidate was on Thursday morning intercepted by security operatives and returned to his home in Kasangati, Wakiso District on the outskirts of Kampala, as he attempted to get out in a new drive dubbed awakening the citizens of Uganda.
He was intercepted moments after he addressed journalists and said he intends to start a campaign which he described as a wakeup call for all the citizens to ‘regain their country.’
Uganda is currently experiencing a surge in commodity prices since the re-opening of the economy in January this year, with the petrol prices jumping 19% this year to an average Shs 5,300 per litre.
