According to power distributor Umeme, the company loses more than Shs 100 billion annually through illegal power connections or power theft
in Uganda.
This was disclosed in August 2016 during the launch of Wuuyo, a campaign aimed at stopping increasing power theft in the country. Let me reveal something wrong I found with Umeme and I propose it gets rectified earlier if the Wuuyo campaign is to yield good results.
About a month ago, I went to my village, Maluku, in Mbale town where power theft is evident. I wanted to have my parents’ house supplied with power. The procedure to get connected is very clear: pay inspection fees of Shs 41,300 and a poll service fee of Shs 326,000.
I made the payments promptly. According to the banner in the Umeme offices at Mbale, one can get connected within one week once all the payments are made. I, therefore, expected the house to receive power by Christmas time. However, five days later, I waited for the connection in vain.
So, I travelled to the Umeme offices to find out why the process was taking long. While there, I was stunned by the district manager when he confidently told me that they didn’t have poles in stock then and that I should go back home, relax and wait until they procured them.
Did I know when that will be? No. One wonders then why they put a deceptive banner in their offices. There are many other customers applying for the same service and who knows whether they are like me (lured by the banner)?
Besides, I would like to suggest a way to end power theft in Bugisu sub-region. I think officials at Umeme need to come up with a scheme that allows slum dwellers to pay an average, affordable amount for connection like it is in Kenya where about one million low-income customers living in informal settlements such as Kibera, Mathare and Nakuru have been connected at an affordable amount through a grant from the World Bank.
Umeme should also sensitize people regularly about the benefits of connecting power legally as the company also sorts its employees who ask for bribes during inspection works.
Delays should be communicated earlier to the customers who have made full payments for the service since some of these customers travel from far to reach Umeme offices.
Ronald Dennis Bukomba,
0704329097.
Solve the refinery puzzle
On July 1, 2016, it was revealed that that the six-month talks between the Ugandan government and RT Global Resources had collapsed. RT Global Resources, a Russian construction firm, had been slated to spearhead the construction of Uganda’s oil refinery.
According to sources, agreements had been made to have this refinery built in phases, starting with one that process 30,000 barrels of oil per day.
Any oil-producing country ought to have a refinery if it is to maximize benefits. So vital is a refinery that countries such as India, Russia and others have made a business out of them, importing crude oil from other countries and exporting finished products. The benefits of having a refinery outweigh the negatives, which explains why the government is trying hard to have one in place.
With RT Global Resources seemingly out of the picture, the government has now turned to a South Korean firm which had initially emerged second in the bidding process. How long will these negotiations take? I certainly do not know, but hope there will be a better ending than that of RT Global Resources.
James Mubiru,
mubirujames87@gmail.com.
Let’s regulate transport fares
I have noticed for some time now that as we near festive seasons, transport operators hike their fares without any major justification. Many have argued that Uganda’s economy is a liberal one. However, every system must have controls and checks.
It does not make sense for taxi, bus and other operators to decide their own fares at the detriment of customers. This is unfair and real theft. We need a regulation on transport fares in Uganda, especially public transport as majority of Ugandans are conned by several operators whose major claim is an increase in fuel prices, which is never the case.
We cannot speak of reaching middle-income status while we cannot protect enormous income leakages of such nature. Let us put the regulations in place and enforce them to the letter so we leave no one behind in this era of global development and towards attainment of Vision 2040.
Michael Aboneka
Advocate of courts of judicature.
The two-letter question
This question is for those who are privileged to have a job and a monthly pay cheque. Imagine you are invited to your human resource manager’s office and are given a choice between two letters. You are required to sign one of the letters before you leave their office.
Letter 1: An offer of half your salary. Letter 2: A termination letter!
Question: which letter would you sign?
Your answer to this question goes a long way to define your current financial condition. If you go with Letter 2, it means that you are able to carry on with your life comfortably as you reorganize to find another job. However, if you are considering Letter 1, it highlights the fact that you are willing to reorganize your current expenditure to temporarily fit within the new 50 per cent income as you possibly consider plan B.
The important reflection here is why you are willing to accept a 50 per cent pay cut if forced by external circumstances yet you are not willing to save 50 per cent of your current income as a result of your own internal/deliberate decision.
In conclusion, you may argue that you don’t have anything left to save/invest because of your current situation (expenditure). But if you would even consider signing Letter 1, then you certainly can make some changes today and make 2017 the start of your saving and investment journey.
Ronald Mukasa,
ronald.mukasa@enterprise.co.ug
letters@observer.ug