A section of Members of Parliament from t Tororo and Busia are asking government to put a tax exemption on imported machinery used in borehole drilling if the country is to achieve its dream of having a borehole per village by 2030.
With only six years to 2030, Uganda's clean and safe water coverage stands at 78%, according to the ministry of water and environment.
" We are right now at 78% of clean water coverage. We are only left with 22% to reach out target" confirmed Aisha Sekindi, the state Minister of Water and Environment.
The percentage is even lower in some districts. For instance, in Tororo district, the clean water coverage is at 61% with the district only counting 1200 clean water sources out of its 1337 villages.
" We are now fairing at 61% of safe water coverage. A lot still needed to be done and we're working around clock to get there," said Leo Adongo, the district water officer.
As result of this low percentage of water coverage, several villages are still relying on unprotected water wells.
" In Osukuru, we are getting water from streams where animals go too and when they come, you have to first leave them drink and go then you fetch," said Constance Okolet, a resident from Tororo .
The district currently has a private organization partnering with government to enhance clean and safe water in the area.
Hope for Kids International Uganda has been in Tororo for 18 years and during this period tover 280 boreholes have been drilled.
Much as this has been achieved, the organization is challenged by heavy taxes imposed on imported machinery used in borehole drilling.
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" When you look at the taxes that we are paying ,it's too much and if it had been waved off, we would now having over 1500 boreholes," said Stephen Onamuna, Hope for kids Uganda, national Executive director
A section of legislators from Tororo and Busia are now asking government for tax waivers on imported machinery for borehole drilling to lower its construction cost for more boreholes to be drilled.
" We believe that when you provide clean water, you save a lot of money that would have gone into expenditures on health care. We also believe that when you reduce on diseases and in the long run, people will save the money," said Geoffrey Macho, MP for Busia Municipality.
Fredrick Angura, the member of Parliament for Tororo South constituency equally believes that when government waives taxes on borehole imported machineries, it will make it easy for boreholes to be constructed in every village.
" In the minister's statement by 2030, government has a plan to have one clean water source per each village. This can only happen if we pay the idea of supporting our private partners like Hope for Kids," Angura said.
