Kampala — Poverty will be greatly reduced by the year 2015, President Yoweri Museveni has promised.

Speaking at the closure of the third World Scouts Inter-religious Symposium at Kaazi camping site on Saturday, Museveni said by 2015, "Uganda will have reduced poverty by 10%."

"By this time, we want all our people to be productive citizens. That is why we are promoting free primary and secondary education," the President added.

Reducing by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day is the first target of the millennium development goals.

The goals were drawn from the actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations at UN Millennium Summit in September 2000. Uganda is one of the signatories.

The president said the Government was doing its best to see that all Ugandans are free from poverty.

The percentage of Ugandans living below the poverty line decreased from 56% in 1992, to 38% in 2003.

Uganda's poverty had reduced to 31% by 2006, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

Museveni commended scouts for their role in the fight against poverty.

He explained that scouts "have provided Uganda leadership in the fight against HIV and global warming, alongside promoting education for all.

"They are my unarmed soldiers in the fight against poverty," the president said.

Afeter inspecting a guard of honour mounted by the scouts, Museveni cautioned them against HIV/AIDS.

"Avoid all vices which can easily get you infected with the HIV/AIDS virus. Make sure you do not get infected with the virus," Museveni advised.

He also thanked the 31 countries, which participated in the symposium, for keeping Lord Robert Baden-Powell's dream alive.

Baden-Powell, who founded the scouts movement, died in January 1941.

The President, who is also Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, inspected on foot a parade mounted by junior scouts, to the excitement of the local people and children.

The parade, which was led by Lohana Academy and Mbogo High school students, constituted several other primary, secondary, and university scholars from all over the country.

Museveni commissioned a new administrative block at Kaazi scouts camping site.

The President also conferred a medal upon the Uganda Investment Authority boss, Maggie Kigozi, as Uganda's Chief Scout.

She replaced Emmanuel Pinto, who died in last year.

The gender minister Gabriel Opio, the head of the Uganda national Muslim Scouts Association, Badru Kateregga and Wakiso district chairman Ian Kyeyune attended the function.