The committee also approved the Government proposal to borrow Special Drawing Rights of about $200m (about sh400b) from the International Development Association (IDA) to support the implementation of the Poverty Eradication Action Plan.
The committee chaired by Ibrahim Kaddunabi has been discussing the loans over the last week and presented their report of approval to Parliament yesterday.
The E-Government project is a three-phased project, expected to cost $127m (about sh250b). Parliament approved $30m (about sh60b) for the first phase, which involved fixing a 168km fibre optic cable to link Mukono, Bombo, Entebbe, Jinja and Kampala.
Kaddunabi yesterday said phase one of the project linked 27 ministries and the departments of the Police, Prisons and Army. Communication equipment and video conferencing facilities were also fitted.
Phase two is expected to commence next year. It will involve fixing optic fibre cables to link a number of towns and building a network operation centre together with a modern Internet Exchange point.
Phase three will involve laying an optic fibre cable to connect more towns and link all border posts. The $200m from IDA is the seventh in a series of poverty reduction support credit.
The money will be used in the ministries of education and sports, health, agriculture, animal industry and fisheries. works and transport, lands, water and environment.
The ministries of justice, finance and local government and the Inspector General of Government and Auditor General offices will also benefit.
MPs from West Nile, Karamoja and Kapchorwa complained that their areas had been left out. Others were concerned about how roads are destroyed when fibre cables are being fixed.
They called for harmonisation of planning such that laying of cables, water pipes and electricity do not interfere with the road works.
Budadiri West MP Nandala Mafabi and Aswa county MP Reagan Okumu said $8m (about sh16b) was approved by the 6th Parliament for laying an optical fibre link in northern Uganda but no work had been done yet the region was part of the current project.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Milton Olupot
Quelle/Source: The New Vision, 03.12.2008
