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Uganda risks electrocuting citizens to protect Entebbe Expressway

Should Uganda risk the lives of its citizens just so it could secure the newly built Entebbe Expressway which the administration of Yoweri Museveni prides as a legacy project?

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Should Uganda risk the lives of its citizens just so it could secure the newly built Entebbe Expressway which the administration of Yoweri Museveni prides as a legacy project? This is the question currently agitating the minds of many in the East African country where Yoweri has arm-twisted the legislature to extend the age requirement for the President to over 70 years.

Government is considering electrifying of Entebbe expressway fence to put to an end the vandalism of road infrastructure, according to a declaration by President Yoweri Museveni.

The President made the remarks while commissioning the Kampala Entebbe Expressway at Mpala toll station in Wakiso District on Friday evening. The function was also graced by Wang Yang, Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Museveni notes that electrifying the fence will minimize the burden of maintaining the vandalized road infrastructures which costs a lot of funds to maintain. Cameras will also be installed to ease monitoring of activities along the road.

The equipment usually vandalized, according the Uganda National Roads Authority – UNRA, includes guard rails and road signs.

The president also reminded motorists who wish to use the road that they will have to pay a yet to be determined amount of money because the expressway was built as a toll road, under the public private partnership.

The tolling section, according to Uganda National Roads Authority, measures 25 km running from Busega through Kajjansi to Abayita Ababiri (Mpala).

Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, the state Minister for Works, says the toll fee will be fixed after enactment of the Road Toll Bill. Road tolling is a form of road pricing, on either a public or private roadway, typically implemented to help recover the cost of road construction and maintenance.

Wang Yang, the Chinese government official who presided over the commissioning of the Expressway is optimistic that the road will boost industrialization in Uganda since it would reduce time goods spend in transit from Entebbe to Kampala.

The 49.56 km highway connects Kampala city to Entebbe International Airport was constructed with a loan of up to USD 476 million (about 1.8 trillion shillings) from the Exim Bank of China constructed by the China communication Construction Company (CCCC).

According to the findings of Committee of Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), the road has costed Uganda $9.2 million per kilometer over and above the average $2 million per kilometer road.

Meanwhile, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians will not be allowed to use the newly constructed road when it is officially opened.

The government of Uganda is to put up more for expressway Enhance efficient passenger and freight operations, improve mobility, reduce travel times, vehicle operating costs and accident rates. The four includes the Kampala-Jinja Expressway (KJE), Kampala-Busunju Expressway, Kampala-Busega-Mpigi Expressway, Kampala Outerbelt and Kampala-Bombo Expressway.

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Ghana’s finance minister, Ken Ofori, to meet Chinese officials over debt restructuring

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Ghana’s finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta will meet Chinese officials on Wednesday to discuss a proposed restructuring of Ghana’s debt, a source has revealed.

The source said, “the talks are expected to focus on ways to reduce Ghana’s debt burden and secure additional financing assurances for the country’s economic programme.”

The source added that the Ghanaian government is currently preoccupied with securing IMF board approval, with the fine details of debt treatment operations to follow later, the source added.

Ghana has been struggling with its worst economic crisis in a generation and secured a staff-level agreement with the IMF in December for a $3 billion loan. Still, approval is contingent on it restructuring its debt of 575.7 billion cedis ($47.6 billion).

The West African country is one of several cash-strapped countries facing unprecedented delays in securing bailouts as China and Western economies clash over how to structure debt relief deals.

China is Ghana’s biggest bilateral creditor with about $1.7 billion of debt and the Chinese delegation visited Ghana this month for initial debt talks which the finance ministry said were “cordial and fruitful.”

In addition to restructuring its domestic debt, Ghana has requested that its bilateral debt be restructured under the common framework platform supported by the Group of 20 major economies.

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Zambian authorities show concern over market abuses in energy sector. Here’s why

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Zambian authorities are concerned about market abuses and social injustices in the energy sector, specifically regarding renewable energy technologies.

The permanent secretary of the country’s Commerce, Trade, and Industry, John Mulongoti, made the position at the commemoration of World Consumer Rights Day where he revealed that the concern was born out of outcry by consumers over the low quality as well as high prices of energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies in the market.

According to Mulongoti “the energy sector is prone to market abuses and social injustices as evidenced by consumers’ concerns over the low quality as well as high prices of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies on the market.

“It is, therefore, my expectation that this event will not only provide an opportunity for increasing consumer awareness of their basic rights but also create a platform for consumers to air their concerns on market abuses and social injustices that they face as they access services from not only the energy sector but also other sectors as well,” Mulongoti said.

“You will agree with me that Zambia has not been spared from experiencing the adverse impact of climate change. We, therefore, need to hold hands together to mitigate this challenge.

“As we continue to enhance trade and investment for the growth of our economy, the government is cognizant of the need to ensure that economic growth happens in a sustainable manner,” Mulongoti said.

Mulongoti said the government will work to create resilient, climate-friendly economies in addition to advocating that both businesses and consumers embrace technologies and solutions that can help mitigate climate change.

The administration of President Hakainde Hichilema has made moves to focus on renewable energy, in January, state-owned power utility Zesco signed an agreement with the United Arab Emirates renewable energy company Masdar to develop solar projects worth $2 billion.

Zambia, like many other African countries, faces a myriad of environmental and socio-economic
challenges that include land degradation, deforestation, and regular droughts which shift to renewable energy strategy.

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