Browsing by Author "Munyambonera, Ezra"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Access and Use of Credit in Uganda: Unlocking the Dilemma of Financing Small Holder Farmers
    (Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), 2012) Munyambonera, Ezra; Nampewo, Dorothy; Adong, Annet; Mayanja, Musa
    This policy brief is about access and use of credit in Uganda by small holder farmers. The brief uses the secondary data to shed light on the extent of the problem and further uses successful case studies in agricultural financing to demonstrate how improvements can be achieved. The major problem established from available information is that despite several agricultural financing initiatives and other reforms in the financial sector in the last 20 years, access to credit by small holder farmers in Uganda has remained very low in the region of about 10 percent. Examining the several agricultural financing initiatives since 1990s tends to suggest that the problem could largely be attributed to weak institutional framework and policy inconsistency on agricultural financing over the years, notwithstanding household demand factors. The key policy recommendation drawn from this assessment is that if agricultural financing is to improve, there is need to have strong institutional framework that focuses on financing frameworks, monitoring and implementation. A better option is for government to support the establishment of a rural or agricultural development bank that prioritises agricultural financing.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Coffee Production in mid-Northern Uganda: Prospects and Challenges
    (Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), 2014) Mbowa, Swaibu; Odokonyero, Tonny; Munyambonera, Ezra
    At the beginning of the 21st Century, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) introduced coffee in the mid-North sub region. This marked the beginning of the sub-region’s transition from dependency on annual crops such as cotton to a perennial crop. While the long-term objective of UCDA was to find ways of sustaining the coffee sector amidst the coffee wilt disease in the traditional coffee growing regions, the opening up of coffee growing opportunities to enhance the incomes of agricultural households in a former war-ravaged Mid-North was a well-conceived strategy. Several studies have demonstrated that coffee sector remains key in Uganda’s poverty reductions efforts as well as pointing to the limited poverty reduction effects among those households who depended mainly on annual crops such as cotton. This policy brief draws from the research paper by Mbowa et al. (2014)1 focusing mainly on the prospects and challenges of the coffee sector in the mid-North of Uganda. There is growing evidence in the sub-region that the systematic coffee planting by the UCDA has yielded positive results in the subregion. On average, there are 16,000 farmers with 10,045 hectares of coffee, and in 2013 coffee output was 154 metric tons and projected to increase to 16,323 metric tons by 2017 with start of harvesting of new planted trees. Apac, Lira, Nwoya and Oyam are among the districts with the highest potential for coffee production. Despite the faster adoption of coffee in the sub-region, there are challenges that need to be addressed if the UCDA’s objectives are to be realized. The major challenges relate to lack of organized marketing and processing infrastructure to support value addition; and inadequate coffee specialized extension support system to narrow the knowledge gap about recommended agronomic practices among farmers.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A Critical Review of the on Going Public Finance Management Reforms: Are the Reforms Yielding on the Expected Outcomes?
    (Economic Policy Research Centre, 2015) Munyambonera, Ezra; Lwanga, Musa Mayanja
    This policy brief examines the progress and impact of the on-going public finance management reforms undertaken by the MFPED since 2012/13. These reforms include the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA); upgrading the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) and the Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPS); improving wage and payroll management, improving budget formulation, implementation, monitoring and reporting; and strengthening budget transparency. The study employed different but complimentary approaches to gather the relevant data and information at central and local government levels. The study findings show that despite some challenges, the reforms are so far yielding positive results in terms of improved accountability, reporting and service delivery. The key reforms have contributed to improved public finance management at different levels of government. These areas include improved public expenditure management through the (TSA), improved accountability and public expenditure use through the IFMS, reduction in ghost workers and the overall wage bill at MDAs and local governments through the IPPS in a decentralised system.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    How should Uganda finance infrastructure development?
    (Economic Policy Research Centre, 2017) Mawejje, Joseph; Munyambonera, Ezra
    Although Uganda has made progress in infrastructure development, the country still faces huge deficits across all sectors, including in transport, energy, water and information and communication technology that require financing beyond the public budget ceilings. These deficits in infrastructural provisioning affect the business climate and increase the cost of doing business with implications for enterprise growth and job creation. In addition, infrastructural deficits exacerbate poverty and inequality and could therefore hinder the attainment of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Addressing these deficits will require financing beyond the available public budget ceilings. This policy brief, based upon a recent research paper1, explores options for financing the scaling up of infrastructure development in Uganda. The analysis highlights the opportunities for scaling up domestic resource mobilization, improving efficiencies in public investments, options in private financing, and the potential role of the natural resource sectors.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Improving Tax Revenue Performance in Uganda
    (Economic policy research center, 2016) Mawejje, Joseph; Munyambonera, Ezra
    Despite efforts to improve tax revenue performance, tax revenues have not been responsive to overall GDP growth. This has resulted in a tax-to-GDP ratio that has stagnated at about 13% for some time. The stagnant tax effort has constrained government in its quest to expand public expenditure to support improved service delivery. This policy brief, based on a research paper1 that examined the principal determinants of tax revenue performance in Uganda, discusses how Uganda’s tax revenue performance can be improved. Bases on auto regressive distributed lag econometric methods, our analysis shows that dominance of the agricultural and informal sectors pose the largest impediments to tax revenue performance in Uganda. In addition trade openness, industrial sector growth and development expenditures are positively associated with tax revenue performance. We propose policies to support the development of value added linkages between agricultural and industrial sectors while emphasizing the need to unlock the potentially large contributions of the informal sector with a view of widening the tax base.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Need for Further Reforms in Uganda’s Public Sector Pension System
    (Economic Policy Research Centre, 2017) Munyambonera, Ezra; Munu, Martin Luther
    The need to implement further reforms in Uganda’s Public Sector Pension (PSP)scheme, a consolidation of the different schemes is paramount. This arises from the increasing numbers of public servants being employed especially in the ever expanding districts and parliament. This would address the current and future challenge of old age social security risk. The policy brief provides an assessment of the structure, design and the trends in public spending on public pensions; and draws implications for its sustainability and affordability. The study uses public expenditure data on pension payments from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MFPED), document reviews and some key stakeholder analysis. Results show that the cumulative fiscal burden of public spending on public pensions has been increasing over the years and has reached a higher level to be afforded by government without necessarily crowding out other competing public investments such as infrastructure development. We suggest that the current PSP scheme requires further reforms to gradually convert it from non-contributory to contributory between government and workers, in order to ensure sustainability. This is a good practice recommended by the World Bank for most of the Overseas Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries including those in Africa. Experience from East Africa in Kenya and Tanzania that have implemented second generation pension reforms; show that converting the PSP scheme from non-contributory to contributory scheme eases fiscal burden on national budget and improves efficiency in the management and administration of the scheme.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Uganda’s Tea Export Strategy Lies in Increasing Output and Improving Quality
    (Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), 2014) Lakuma, Corti Paul; Munyambonera, Ezra; Guloba, Madina
    Tea is an important export commodity for Uganda. Increasing its output and quality remains at the heart of increasing Uganda’s tea export competitiveness. However, increased export competitiveness hasn’t been achieved due to a number of reasons, some of which are cost of production, limited research, inadequate processing facilities, barriers to land acquisition and poor farmer organization. This is especially true with smallholder farmers who do not have access to some of the resources that estates farmers do. A study by Munyambonera et. al. (2014)1 using data from the International Tea Committee (2012) provide lessons to Uganda on how Kenya increased its export value and volume through increasing of output and improving of quality.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Why Uganda needs a Comprehensive Tea Policy and a Tea Authority
    (2014) Lakuma, Corti Paul; Munyambonera, Ezra; Guloba, Madina
    Investments on Ugandan smallholders and estates to improve output, productivity and quality depends on an environment that favours a broad range of interlinked policy measures. These policy measures include land reforms, tea research and extension services, marketing and promotion, and resource mobilization and utilization. The ability of Uganda to address the above enumerated policy measures is impeded by inconsistencies. The inconsistencies arise because of existence of multiple initiatives which create uncertainty among stake holders. A study by Munyambonera et. al (2014)1 using data from the International Tea Committee (2012) draws lessons for Uganda from the approach Kenya used to coordinate the multiple interventions, ministries, departments and agencies in the tea sector-a comprehensive tea policy and a tea authority.