News Editor

BY WASWA TENYWA
www.newseditor.co.ug

FEMALE journalists from the various regions across Uganda are advocating for better occupational safety policies and human rights while on job.
During a virtual workshop hosted by the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) Uganda in partnership with Journalism and Media International Center(JMIC) on Saturday, Eunice Kasirye the IAWRT Uganda chapter head, noted that safety and human rights are a pre-requisite at a workplace for mostly female journalists.
 “The platform of virtual networking has it’s fears. The same fears we get online are the same we face offline. If you frustrate the voice of a female journalist, you’re frustrating the voice of all the voiceless in the community. However, when a female journalist is given all the space and the power to do her job without being censored, the community benefits,” Noted Ms. Eunice Kasirye.
Violet Gonda the IAWRT president noted that the Association has been able to receive international support to start a pilot project on creating a digital safe house for female journalists adding that they female journalists suffer a lot everywhere.
Meanwhile Rouenah Kajumba, a TV  journalist in central region noted that issues concerning female journalists’ safety started with what society perceives as what a woman is and what a female journalist is.
She said that in a very patriarchical society where men have always taken lead, some female journalists fear to air their views because they will be termed as emotional and most threats are much more directed towards women than men while on duty.
She noted that men should be involved in discussions around the safety of female journalists.
“We are not only females in the field, but there are men as well. So if these male journalists don’t understand the female journalists, there’s no way we are going to uphold the issue of safety. When we leave our workplaces, the married go back to men.” She said, adding, “We have brothers and we work with men in different sections. So these people ought to understand what it means to be a woman because men are the very people that are exposing us to the things that make us unsafe while in the field.”
Caroline Bunga urged the journalists to task the public servants to provide information since the information act mandates any public officer to provide information except where the release is likely to prejudice the security or sovereignty of the state or interfere with the right to the privacy of any other person.

For views/comments on this story, send us an email on:  newseditor.info@gmail.com

BY KETRAH JJEMBA

SEVERAL Civil society organisations are threatening to close their operations in the country if the government doesn’t stop harassing their colleagues.
This is in relation to last week’s arrest of AFIEGO CEO Dickens Kamugisha and six staff of the Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) due to unknown reasons.
In August this year, the government ordered a number of NGOs including AFIEGO to halt operations. The NGO Bureau said these 54 groups were violating a 2016 law.
AFIEGO backs the Save Bugoma Forest Campaign (SBFC) and as such opposes oil developments and sugarcane growing in Hoima for nature good.
In a joint press briefing at Center for Constitutional Governance (CCG) in Ntinda a Kampala suburb, the executive director CCG Sarah Bireete explains that the attack on NGOs is intended to compromise the civil space which cannot be allowed.
Bireete noted that the NGOs are considering closing and operating informally.
At the same press briefing, the program manager at Governance ActionAid Uganda Mercy Munduru said that the government’s decision is likely to cripple social services that these NGOs render to the public.

If you have a news story, send an email to newseditor.info@gmail.com

BY KETRAH JJEMBA
KAMPALA

THE Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has revealed how cases of counterfeit have increased in the country since the outbreak of covid 19 in March 2020.
Other challenges recorded include change in symbols, use of same without changing the product among others have been recorded.
Carol Nazziwa from the Uganda Registration Services Bureau noted that in just two months they have registered over 76 cases of duplication of names of various companies.
She revealed this to the press while meeting with officials from Fohow International Uganda limited led by Daniel Tumushabe who cautioned various companies to be more keen with people who want to develop using other people’s business through duplication.

For any news story/tip, reach us on newseditor.info@gmail.com

BY KETRAH JJEMBA
MEDIA CENTRE

CABINET on Monday 25th October 2021 under the chairmaship of H.E the president Yoweri Museveni took a decision on signing and ratification of the Uganda – Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) inter governmental agreement for the joint construction of road infrastructure.
Yesterday while addressing journalists at the Media Centre, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi the minister of ICT and National guidance said, “This will strengthen bilatel relations between Uganda and the DRC, increase volume of trade between Uganda and the DRC and also improve people to people movement and security.”
Baryomunsi noted that this initiative is done to benefit trade because the eastern congo is not well developed and yet there is alot of trade and business in this area between Uganda and DRC.
Minister Baryomunsi also revealed that, “Cabinet also approved the implementation of the Amuru deed of settlement for the Amuru sugar works project.”
He said, this will enhance social economic transformation of the Amuru community as a result of established Agro – industry and infrastructure development.
This will also improve standard of living as a result of established Agro – industry by Amuru sugar works limited through the creation of employment particularly for unemployed youths.

You have any news story? Send it to newseditor.info@gmail.com

BY KETRAH JJEMBA

UGANDA Revenue Authority (URA) a few days ago kicked off the third edition of the e-bomba ya business summits with discussions on survival of businesses in the wake of the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.
The month-long virtual engagements are aimed tipping business owners on financial growth and fostering voluntary compliance. These have been incorporated with skills to help businesses thrive in the new normal.
According to the URA Ag. Commissioner General Abel Kagumire, majority of the businesses which were a big source of revenue for government have been greatly hit by the effects on trade by the COVID-19 pandemic and this has affected tax collections by the institution. 
Kagumire pointed out sectors like education, food services, accommodation, arts and recreation as those that have been grossly affected in this era.
Collections from the food service and accommodation hit a dive of 37% especially because the sector is driven by tourists who were locked up in their respective countries. 
He however says that the revenue body is hopeful of a change in the sector collections because of the vaccines that are making travels much safer.
The e-bomba ya Business summits will run in series on Fridays up to 12th November 2021. The first episode of the summits has focused on survival through the pandemic with deep conversations on business financing and alternative skills adoption by sectors grossly affected by the COVID-19.
The discussants included; Ag. Commissioner General Abel Kagumire, Private Sector Foundation Uganda’s Ruth Biyinzika, the Managing Director Centenary Bank Fabian Kasi and Price Waterhouse Coopers’ Crystal Kabajwara and moderated by NBS TV’s Mildred Tuhaise.
Mr. Kagumire revealed that, unlike the past where the tax burden was carried by a few entities, the authority is to embark on expanding the tax register so that the businesses recovering from the pandemic effects are not overwhelmed
“URA has embarked on expanding the taxpayer register because we know that there are many Ugandans out there in profiting business but are not paying taxes. We intend to achieve this with comprehensive tax education so that everyone contributes to betterment of this country” said Kagumire
Uganda’s tax burden was held by slightly over 1.7 million taxpayers by the end of financial year (FY) 2020/21. However, this figure is expected to expand by 400,000 additions as the authority is set to have 2.1 million taxpayers by the end of FY 2021/22.
Ruth Biyinzika cautioned business owners against unnecessary expenditures as they recover from the pandemic emphasising that all resources are now needed for business survival. She pointed to the need for effective financial management in order for business owners to turn around operations for the better.
URA started the e-bomba ya business summits in 2019 as one of the activities in the Taxpayers Appreciation Month to equip business owners with necessary skills for financial growth and these were held at Kololo independence grounds.
However, due to the pandemic, these went virtual to cope with the standard operating procedures to curb COVID-19. URA will continue to equip segmented taxpayers with skills to thrive financially as it marks a 30-year anniversary. A similar engagement will be held for the youth in January in an Open Minds Forum Engagement.

For views/comments on this story, email us on newseditor.info@gmail.com

BY KETRAH JJEMBA
KAMPALA

THE Uganda Aids commission on Tuesday launched the National Policy Guidelines on Ending HIV Stigma and discrimination.
While presenting the contents of the policy in Kampala, the Executive Director of the Commission, Dr Nelson Musooba said, the objectives of policy guidelines is to provide stakeholders and the public with guidelines on non stigma and discrimination to enable them take appropriate actions to protect themselves and the communities.
The policy is also to improve access to and utilization of health and other services by people living with and affected by HIV especially where there has been punitive laws, policies and practices which violate human rights.
Dr Musooba noted that the Commission has secured funds to roll out the policy across the country that will help in eliminating the rising vice of stigmatizing people living with HIV/AIDs.
While launching the guildlines the minister for presidency Milly Babalanda has appealed to all ugandans to go and test for HIV.

You have a news tip/story? Send it to newseditor.info@gmail.com

BY KETRAH JJEMBA
CITY HALL

KAMPALA Capital City Authority (KCCA) through the help of government of Uganda has secured USD 288M from the Africa development bank to help improve road transport and ease congestion in the city by upgrading 22 road junctions.
According to the acting director engineering and technical services Justus  Akankwasa, this will enhance the drainage capacity of the city to mitigate street flooding in low lying areas.
Akankwasa said that the project will improve 69.7km of roads in all divisions of Kampala,134 km of non motorised traffick facilities, walk ways, cycling trucks, construct commercial vehicle parking places, bus depots, 30 public toilets,6 Public markets along project roads for women vendors.
Meanwhile Akankwasa says Kcca has collaborated with Uganda railway corporation to revitalize the passenger train service between Kampala and Namanve.

For any news tip/story, send an email to newseditor.info@gmail.com

UMSC SG Mugalu and UNBS executive director Mr. David Livingstone Ebiru after signing MoU

BY WASWA TENYWA
www.newseditor.co.ug

IN a bid to implement and enforce Halaal standards in Uganda, Uganda National Bureau of standards has today signed a memorandum of understanding with Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC).
During the MOU signing at the headquarters of UNBS today, leaders of the two institutions agreed to work together to support the implementation and enforcement of Halaal standards in Uganda.
Speaking during the signing, the UNBS executive director Mr. David Livingstone Ebiru said UNBS will be working closely with the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council to make sure that those who claim that they are implementing Halal standards can be verified to promote trust and confidence in their products so that they can be consumed by the Muslim community and countries as a way of sidelining false claims.  
Mr. Ebiru revealed that the focus of the MoU is that as UNBS implements the Halal standards, they also protect the Muslim consumers as part of their mandate of consumer protection because Uganda as a country is a member of the Standards & Metrology institute of Islamic Countries called Organization of Islamic Countries whose secretariat is based in Turkey and that as members, there is need to harmonize standards and develop standards together.This means that Uganda should be able to sell our exports to countries that align to the Muslim faith.
“We are members of Organization of Islamic Countries whose secretariat is based in Turkey. As a member, we harmonize standards and develop standards together and the focus of the MoU is that as UNBS implements the Halal standards, Muslim consumers are protected as part of our mandate of consumer protection.” Said Mr. David Livingstone Ebiru.
Ebiru says uganda’s airlines fly to islamic countries and while in the flight people are served food where most of the travellers in the airlines are Muslims who want food that meets the expectation of the Muslims since muslims are part of the community.
Meanwhile the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council secretary General Hon. Ramadhan Mugalu on behalf of UMSC expressed gratitude  that Uganda has joined many countries to have Halal in it’s standardization which he says will give more consumer protection not only to the Muslims but also other people who would enjoy halal products.
Hon. Mugalu also said the signing of the MOU will expose uganda to the Arab and islamic countries market in terms of exports.
“We agree with what UNBS is doing and are very much in support of their endeavors.” Said SG Mugalu
Also the secretary for halal at Uganda Muslim Supreme Council sheikh Munil Sebintu said the MOU will give Uganda a chance of selling its products to the outside counctries.He says this will enable people to consume good things which can only be achieved when the two institutions work together.
Sheikh munil working together with UNBS will save muslims from consuming things that contradict with the islamic faith.

For views/comments about this story, email us on newseditor.info@gmail.com