We must stop export of value for no value – Museveni urges Ugandans

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has vowed to continue his fight against what he calls economic hemorrhage of resources from Uganda. Addressing Parliament during the State of the Nation Address at Kololo in Kampala on Tuesday 7^th June, the President stated that the country has been losing a lot of revenue by exporting raw materials and importing products made out of the same material. 

The President, who was speaking in a spirited tone reassured Ugandans that the country was on the right trajectory, with his government ensuring that the gains so far made are consolidated. Mr Museveni pointed out coffee as one of the raw materials that Uganda has exported and in the process lost a lot of revenue. He stated that the so-called donors to Africa are instead donees, taking from Africa. 

“This now brings me to the massive theft that has been going on with coffee. Right from 1986, I started the struggle to add value to our coffee because our cadres who were deployed there told me of the value differentials between our coffee sold as beans and what it would get when processed as soluble coffee, or any other type of final coffee, to be consumed. At that time, the kg of beans of coffee would give us USD1, while the same coffee processed would give USD14. Many times in meetings, I would point out that those who say they are donors, are actually donees, because, in every kg, Uganda was giving USD13 dollars to the outside World and also donating jobs,” he stated. 

“The continued export of raw materials by Africa is the new form of slavery. Export of value in exchange for no value (mirrors, combs for our ignorant chiefs in exchange for slaves) or for little value like now – 10% value of the final product. The export of raw-materials and slaves for the last 600 years is the cause of this stunting (okuningama),” Mr Museveni added.

He said that his struggle to add value to raw materials which he started in 1986 will now be intensified.