According to the 2021 Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International, Uganda is the 27 most corrupt country, out of 180 nations surveyed.
Also Data from Chr. Michelsen Institute’s Anti-corruption Resource Centre indicates that about 1 out of 5 companies in Uganda identify corruption as a barrier to doing business in the country.
Meanwhile, the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) with National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in part of the efforts to intensify the fight against corruption.
The three-year Skills, attitude, governance, and anti-corruption (SG+) project will see the two bodies fight corruption in the facilitation of the European Union and a Belgian Organisation, Enabel.
According to PSFU Executive Director Steven Asiimwe, the project implementation jointly by Enabel and PSFU is aimed at contributing to the creation of a more conducive business environment.
“The private sector has identified governance and corruption as one of the three critical obstacles to doing business in Uganda. The vice complicates business, discourages foreign and domestic investments, and inhibits job creation,” he said adding that this ultimately slows down the country’s economic development where public procurement in particular is prone to corruption.
In this regard, Assimwe welcomed the close collaboration between different actors such as the Inspector General of Government, State House Anti Corruption Unit, Public Procurement, and Disposal of Assets Authority, and National Information Technology Authority of Uganda in the implementation of the project.
“The project aims to make Uganda’s business environment more conducive for investments by increasing the supply of qualified workers, establishing private sector-led initiatives to fight corruption, and strengthening public-private sector dialogue,” he said.
According to the Inspector General of Government, about 9 out of 10 payments for public procurements are affected by corruption thus Asiimwe urging all stakeholders to come up in arms against corruption.
“Although corruption is widely believed to be common, evidence to facilitate the elimination of the vice in the private sector remains scanty. It is thus imperative for different actors to come up with innovative ways of addressing the challenge of corruption in doing business,” he said.
Speaking at the MoU signing at Protea Hotel in Kampala, Tom Vanneste, the Enabel Country Representative said the initiative is part of a 3-year skills, attitude, governance, and anti-corruption project funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by Enabel and Private Sector Foundation Uganda.
“The project will support companies to embrace electronic government procurement to eliminate human contact in the procurement process,” he said.
He further added that corruption takes out trust as he reflected also on the Unfortunate development of many people fearing to report corruption cases.
“It destroys the necessary level playing field. It takes out trust. Unfortunately, many people fear reporting corruption cases. They risk reprisal, or worse. I am counting on the private sector to actively use the corruption reporting facility,” he said.
The facility, part of the project, will make it much easier to report corruption. A new platform will allow the private sector actors to report corruption cases The governmental anti-corruption bodies like IGG and the State House Anti-Corruption unit can then use the data available on the new platform.
