The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, has mentioned there’s nothing to point out for the Shs553.71 billion that authorities has progressively sunk in Atiak Sugar Factory, and demanded that it explains the funding within the manufacturing unit that has since failed to interrupt even.
“This is a challenge that excited many individuals, as a result of it sounded good for individuals in northern Uganda and the nation usually. It began so properly however alongside the best way there are a lot of unanswered questions. The manufacturing unit shouldn’t be operational and they aren’t positive when they are going to open and begin to manufacture sugar,” mentioned Ssenyonyi informed Parliament sitting on Tuesday, 15 October 2024 following his go to to the manufacturing unit situated in Amuru in Northern Uganda.
The LOP was involved that the manufacturing unit that has not been in a position to produce sugar is repeatedly being funded and questioned authorities’s pursuits.
“Does authorities even have shares within the manufacturing unit? If so what number of? How are we guaranteeing that the funding of tax payers is making returns, virtually yearly there’s request for cash to this entity,” Ssenyonyi mentioned.
During his go to to Atiak on Monday, 07 October 2024, Ssenyonyi mentioned he discovered frustrations on the manufacturing unit together with lack of uncooked supplies and others involving authorities’s stake.
“The firm is pissed off as a result of Uganda Development Corporation which is meant to behave on our behalf is absent. They are saying we don’t see them, they don’t have uncooked supplies, they’re trying in the direction of having all of the equipment for them to really function,” he mentioned.
Ssenyonyi proposed that for the sake of the monies already injected within the manufacturing unit, authorities ought to guarantee its performance.
Speaker Among requested the Leader of the Opposition to desk a report on his go to to Atiak, Roko Construction Ltd and Dei Biopharma Ltd for the related ministers to make response.
A 2021 Report of the Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry about Atiak Sugar Factory indicated that authorities owns 40 % of the manufacturing unit based by Horyal Holdings Company Ltd as a private-community partnership.
The manufacturing unit was envisaged to facilitate financial restoration in Northern Uganda by creation of jobs for native staff and empowerment of ladies as the primary suppliers of sugarcane within the area.
The report highlighted various challenges confronted by the manufacturing unit and the neighborhood, starting from lack of uncooked supplies, the manufacturing unit’s lack of ability to plant the required sugarcane on 60,000 acres offered by the neighborhood and laxity on the aspect of UDC, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
