Prof. Ezra Suruma has emphasized the importance of adopting social protection measures for all citizens to prevent them from falling into impoverished conditions.
During his keynote speech at a SEATINI Uganda dialogue on harnessing youth voices on investment policies, laws, and agreements for decent work, green jobs, and sustainable development in Uganda, Professor Suruma emphasized that the government must ensure its citizens can live with dignity."As a country, we should adopt social protection for all citizens, so that no one is allowed to fall into a subhuman state," he said.
The former finance minister highlighted the need for policies and programs aimed at reducing vulnerability by promoting efficient labor markets and enhancing individuals' capacity to protect themselves against hazards."We want full employment, We want everybody to be with the Health and able bodied to work, but sometimes this may not be possible, while between and in between contracts, while jobs are not available, we must find a way to make sure that people are not falling in total disputation and living less than animals."He suggested that if the government uses oil revenues to fund social protection programs, it would be easier to provide care for every citizen, particularly during times of vulnerability."
There must be an arrangement in line with other civilized countries, whereby the revenues from oil are set aside, so that the earnings from those revenues will be used to make social protection possible, so that in times of desperation, in times of unemployment, in times of old age, in times of illness, with social health insurance, there is some way in which care is provided to every citizen, because what does it mean to be a citizen if your country does not have any arrangement for making sure that you live as a human being," Prof.Suruma said.
He warned that neglecting the issue of social protection could lead to an increase in criminality."We must find a way to make sure that people are not falling in total disputation and living less than animals because if we don't do that, criminality will increase, immorality will increase, corruption will increase because insecurity is beyond what is bearable."
SEATINI Uganda held an engagement with youth leaders from Universities like Makerere, MUBS, Kyambogo, and Cavendish University at Essella Country Hotel to discuss investment-related policies and how the Investment Code Act 2019 can be leveraged to address challenges of unemployment and decent work faced by youth.Jane Nalunga, the Executive Director SEATINI Uganda said that the dialogue highlights the importance of policies in facilitating economic empowerment and stability."The dialogue emphasizes that effective policies can lead to job creation better social services and improved living standards," she said.
Nalunga emphasized the need for youth to advocate for investment policies that prioritize decent work, as this will ensure the sustainability of jobs in the country."It is critical for youths to understand and advocate for investment policies that prioritize decent work. This is not just about job creation but ensuring that these jobs are sustainable, fulfilling, and supportive of workers' rights," she added.
While discussing the role of investment policies in promoting decent work for youth, Robinnah Kagoye, Executive Director of Voices for Labour, stressed that these policies should focus not only on profit but also on improving the livelihoods of people."The investment policies should be fair. It should be responsible kind of investment, not investment that considers profits over people. When you're talking about decent work, the policy makers should always have at the back of their mind that labor is not a commodity. Workers are human beings, they are citizens, they are taxpayers.
In fact, when the labor market is torn apart, I do not think we can have economic development when labor is just being put in the periphery."Kagoye further explained that globalization is changing the nature of work, noting that with current trends, it is increasingly difficult to secure direct employment in private companies, which often does not meet the standards of decent work."When you go right now on the ground, it is now becoming very difficult to directly be employed in most of these private companies. There is what is called outsourcing, then there is agency work, where now we are having local recruiters that are recruiting workers and just supplying them from one company to another. And these do not fall in the agenda of decent work. All these practices have a lot of decent work deficits."
Herbert Kafeero the programs communications manager at SEATINI said that they engaged youths because they believe that this young generation is the next breed of policy makers and is the next breed of leaders."It is important to engage young people on investment related policies and how we can use our investment code act 2019 to address challenges that our young people are facing, challenges of unemployment, challenges of decent work."
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We believe that the economy can work for all, including young people, but that is not obvious or automatic. The economy can only work for young people when the policies are right, when the policies are fit for purpose, when the policies are intentional on addressing issues like unemployment, decent work, among others."Kafeero noted that SEATINI Uganda analyzed the investment code act 2019 and realized that the number of gaps that need to be addressed.He added that they're leading on reviewing the investment code act 2019 and also on how they can promote Pro development investment related policies and practices in Uganda.
He revealed that all deliberations from the youths engagement are going to culminate into a manifesto on making investment policies work for the youth in Uganda."The outcome of today's engagement is a manifesto we are looking at making compiling all the views and concerns that have been shared by the youth in today's dialog on harnessing youth voices on investment policies to foster decent work, green jobs and sustainable development in Uganda, all the deliberations are going to culminate into a manifesto, which is dubbed manifesto on making investment policies work for the youth in Uganda."
