Uganda’s economy has been under reconstruction since 1986 when the National Resistance Movement (NRM) took over power. This according to former Finance Minister, Prof. Ezra Suruma, who is the current senior presidential advisor on finance and planning.

"We have been building a destroyed economy since 1986," said Suruma in an exclusive interview with journalism@mak at the President’s Office near parliament.

“The economy was destroyed by Amin’s regime and by far, we have changed Uganda of then to today where there is accessibility to goods and services, production and distribution of goods,” adds Suruma.

Prof. Suruma served as Minister of Finance and Planning between 2005-2009, Deputy Governor in the Central Bank of Uganda. Among other economic statuses, he has engaged in technical policy interactions with the IMF, the World Bank, among other development institutions worldwide.

He adds that the Asian question of 1976 left Uganda with no substitute system to develop and continue the trade and economic uplift. Because of this, according to Suruma, the colonial economic foundation was destroyed.

Hon. Amelia Kyambadde, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, speaking the 2018 tax payers' week at Kololo Independence Grounds, said that the economy has since changed to benefit and uplift Ugandans especially in trade.

Uganda’s economy was under the British administration as the colonial masters up to 1962, and remained heavily Asian-dominated up to 1972 when they were expelled by then President Idi Amin.

According to the World Bank GDP statistics in 2017, Uganda’s economy has had a per capita growth from 0.6% in 1961 to 1.5% in 2017.

Courtesy Photo