|
Policy Area |
Objectives and Targets |
Strategies and Measures |
Implementation |
TA Requirements |
A. Fiscal policies
|
1. Revenue |
Improve tax administration, enhance tax base, and reduce distortions in tax system |
Restructure excise taxes and restructure and reduce tariffs |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
Implement changes in customs management and administration and improve internal audit procedures |
1998/99 |
IMF, U.K. Department for International Development (DfID) |
|
|
Approval by URA of the new anti-smuggling action plan |
September 1998 |
|
|
|
Customs Departments implement Wide-Area Network to monitor customs traffic |
1998/99 |
|
|
|
Install seals on all petrol station pumps (including those in nonretail outlets). All unsealed stations along the main transit routes will be closed |
September 1998 |
|
|
|
Complete on-site audits of all retail and nonretail petrol outlets by the URA |
June 1999 |
|
|
|
Establish a Large-Taxpayer Unit (LTU) and assign to it the assessment, auditing, collection, and enforcement functions for the 100 largest taxpayers |
September 1998 |
IMF |
|
|
Complete a centralized inventory of all available information on tax arrears by the business sector |
September 1998 |
|
|
|
Ensure auditing of enterprises whose tax holidays will have expired by the income tax department, in consultation with the (value-added tax) VAT and customs departments |
June 1999 |
|
|
|
Establishment of duty drawback desk and clearance of drawback backlog |
1998/99 |
|
|
|
Establishment of tax tribunal and commencement of its operations |
September 1998 |
|
|
|
Process VAT refunds within 30 days |
1998/99 |
|
|
|
Introduce nonwaivable (except for good cause) penalty tax on late VAT payments, set at 2 percent per month on the amounts outstanding |
July 1998 |
|
|
|
Replace the fixed penalty for late filing with a nonwaivable penalty tax of 2 percent of the tax liability—a general write-off facility on overdue taxes applies to this penalty |
July 1998 |
|
2. Expenditure and budget control |
Improve budget management |
Improve expenditure control and financial accounting mechanisms, including, |
1998/99-2000/01 |
IMF/World Bank |
|
|
- put in place a Pilot Commitment Monitoring and Reporting System, and
|
April 1999 |
IMF |
|
|
- put in place uniform budget preparation and reporting regulations for districts
|
1998/99-2000/01 |
IMF |
|
|
Cease issuing promissory notes except to regularize domestic arrears accumulated prior to July 1, 1997 |
Effective from July 1, 1997 onward |
|
|
|
Limit supplementary expenditures to no more than 3 percent of budgeted expenditures |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
Ensure that all cash releases are recorded appropriately and provided in a timely manner |
1998/99 |
|
|
|
Increase allocation for priority program areas and for development budget at least at the rate of growth of nominal GDP |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
Arrears Monitoring and Reporting Unit and its Verification subcommittee audit existing central government arrears and prepare plan for their elimination |
February 1999 |
|
|
|
Clear all outstanding arrears |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
B. Monetary and financial sector policies
|
1. Monetary policy |
Maintain low and stable inflation |
Strengthen the use of indirect instruments by promoting secondary markets in treasury bills |
1998/99 |
IMF/World Bank |
2. Institutional reforms |
Promote efficiency and soundness of banking system |
Strengthen financial sector supervision and training |
1998/99-2000/01 |
World Bank |
|
|
Conduct 12 on-site examinations of commercial banks |
1998/99 |
|
|
|
Communicate required corrective measures to the four banks found to be in violation of bank regulations |
September 1998 |
|
|
|
Conclude reinspections of these banks |
December 1998 |
|
|
|
Begin policy of annual on-site inspections of all commercial banks |
2000/01 |
|
|
|
Issue a master repurchase agreement to serve as a guide to all sales of government securities |
1998/99 |
|
|
Promote rural finance |
Provide subsidies, if needed, to keep selected rural branches of the Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB) operating |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
C. External sector policies |
1. Exchange and trade liberalization |
|
Submit new Foreign Exchange Bill to Parliament |
March 1999 |
|
|
Promote trade and reduce anti-export bias and other tax-induced distortions |
Clear the stock of outstanding export duty drawback claims |
1998/99
|
|
|
|
Reduce the maximum processing time of export duty drawback claims to two months |
June 1999 |
|
|
|
Reduce the maximum processing time of export duty drawback claims to one month |
June 2000 |
|
|
|
Eliminate import ban on cigarettes |
March 1999 |
|
|
|
Phase out temporary additional tariffs on beer, soft drinks, automobile batteries |
1998/99-March 2001 |
|
|
|
Imported cigarettes, and other tobacco products |
1999/00- June 2001 |
|
|
|
Phase out discriminatory excise tax of 10 percent on selected imports |
1999/00-2000/01 |
|
2. Debt strategy |
Improve debt profile |
Contract new concessional borrowing only on IDA terms, or better |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
Limit amount of annual nonconcessional debt contracted or guaranteed by the government to US$10 million |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
Normalize relations with non-Paris Club creditors |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
D. Structural and institutional reforms
|
1. Private sector development |
Enhance private sector's capacity to generate economic growth |
Advance commercial related legislation and related judicial processes by: |
|
|
|
|
Drafting new commercial laws and obtaining cabinet approval |
1998/99 |
World Bank |
|
|
Establishing a Tax Division of High Court to expedite tax-related disputes |
1998/99 |
|
|
|
Improve legal infrastructure by: |
|
|
|
|
Reducing backlog of cases |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
Establishing a separate registry of commercial cases |
1998/99 |
|
|
Promote private equity and security markets |
Begin offering residual shares in partially privatized enterprises to public via the Capital Markets Authority |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
2. Public service reform |
Improve effectiveness and efficiency of the public service |
Implement the major part of the remaining staff cuts arising from ministerial restructuring |
1998/99 |
|
|
|
Implement results-oriented management in government ministries |
1998/99 |
World Bank |
|
|
Strengthen personnel and payroll management and control |
1998/99-1999/00 |
DfID |
|
|
Complete job evaluation and grading exercise |
1998/99 |
World Bank |
|
|
Complete National Service Delivery Survey |
1998/99 |
World Bank |
|
Rationalize public service pensions and separation benefits |
Approve a cabinet paper embodying the basic principles of the proposed pension reform, including a specification of the new pension formula as well as the intended adjustment to benefits for persons who retired prior to the monetization of in-kind benefits |
December 1998 |
|
|
|
Complete study on long-term financial requirements of revised benefit schemes |
1998/99 |
World Bank |
|
|
Establish working group on pension reform |
1998/99 |
|
3. Decentralization |
Improve service delivery and accountability |
Complete Decentralization Implementation Plan |
December 1998 |
|
|
|
Enhance financial oversight and management capacities at central and local levels |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
4. Privatization and public enterprise reform |
Reduce the role of the government in commercial activities and increase exposure of retained public enterprises to market signals |
Relinquish government management control to core investor or divest at least 51 percent of government shares in all 126 enterprises with at least partial public ownership |
December 1999 |
|
|
|
Approve for sale 16 of the 18 commercial public enterprises that remain to be approved for sale |
1998/99
|
|
|
|
Regularize all Uganda Electricity Board (UEB) debt service to the central government |
December 2000 |
|
|
Enhance efficiency and reduce costs of public enterprises |
Properly reflect all direct subsidies from budget to public enterprises in the budget and eliminate all subsidies over the next three years, except for those to enterprises with agreed social missions |
1998/99 |
World Bank |
|
|
Make loans from government to public enterprises at market interest rates |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
Liquidate all arrears of public enterprises |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
Complete study on rationalization and restructuring of public enterprises |
March 1999 |
World Bank |
|
|
Strengthen MFPED's mandate for financial oversight of public enterprises |
December 1998 |
World Bank |
|
|
Decide whether to adopt multisectoral regulatory agency for utilities regulatory structure for public enterprises |
1998/99 |
World Bank |
|
Improve institutional framework for privatization |
Monitor use of divestiture proceeds and their use for agreed activities |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
Present to cabinet amendments to PERD statute |
June 1999 |
World Bank |
E. Sectoral Policies
|
1. Agriculture |
Improve agricultural productivity |
Develop, through participatory approach, consistent sector-wide approach, including redefinition of role and activities of Ministry, decentralization of activities and prioritization of investments. |
December 1999 |
|
|
|
Provide adequate budgetary provisions for agricultural research and rural roads |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
Review all marketing regulations on agricultural outputs and inputs, remove any remaining restrictions, and simplifying export procedures for all agricultural exports |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
2. Environment |
Build capacity for sustainable management of natural resources |
Implement the National Environment Bill and proceed with follow-up on National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) |
1998/99-2000/01 |
World Bank |
|
|
Strengthen capacity of environmental and resource management agencies |
1998/99-2000/01 |
World Bank |
3. Infrastructure |
|
|
|
|
Power |
Improved supply of power on a least-cost basis |
Cabinet will approve plan for power sector restructuring and private sector investment |
March 1999 |
World Bank |
|
|
Establish a transparent process for evaluating the technical, financial, and environmental aspects of the independent power producer proposals, and for selecting the most economic order and timing of the proposed investments |
December 1998 |
|
|
Improve UEB's operational and financial performance |
Reduce accounts receivable to:
|
December 1999 |
World Bank |
|
|
|
2001 onward |
World Bank |
|
|
Reduce energy losses from 30 percent to:
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 1998 |
|
|
|
|
December 2000 |
|
|
|
Reduce UEB's operating ratio to: 36 percent |
2000 |
|
|
|
Reduce staff to 2,000 |
December 1998 |
|
|
|
Complete the divestiture of noncore activities |
March 1999 |
|
4. Transport |
Improve maintenance and rehabilitation of main roads |
Increase government funding for routine maintenance to 100 percent of requirements |
2001 |
World Bank
|
|
Strengthen institutional capacity in roads sector |
Make Road Agency Formation Unit operational |
September 1998 |
World Bank |
|
|
Establish autonomous Road Agency/Authority |
July 2000 |
World Bank |
|
Improve the accessibility of rural areas |
Increase feeder road investment and strengthen planning at district level |
1998/99-2000/01 |
World Bank |
|
|
Complete prioritized rural feeder road and investment plan |
1998/99 |
World Bank |
|
Increase commercial orientation of Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) |
Take decision on continued operation of the Kampala- Kasese line |
1998/99 |
World Bank |
|
|
Take decision on increased private sector participation in Uganda Railway Corporation |
December 1998 |
|
5. Post and Telecommunications |
Increase private sector participation in service delivery through liberalization |
Re-tender Uganda Telecommunications Ltd. (UTL) |
December 1998 |
|
6. Water |
Improve provision of safe water and sanitation to urban and rural populations |
Complete review of water sector policy |
December 1999 |
|
|
|
Take decision on increasing private participation in NWSC |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
Allow National Water Supply and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) to make tariff changes as needed to cover marginal costs |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
Increase government funding in sector |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
F. Social and statistical issues
|
1. Education
|
Universal Primary Education (UPE) |
Implement the UPE dissemination strategy |
1998/99 |
|
|
|
Increase resource efficiency by adopting policy guidelines on double-shift teaching, multigrade teaching, and rationalization of teacher training program |
1999/2000 |
|
|
|
Expand in-service teacher training to cover all districts |
1998/99 |
|
|
Improve resource management |
Ensure that all active teachers are on the payroll and paid on time |
1998/99 |
|
|
|
Implement monitoring system for accountability and transparency in use of public funds |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
Implement the Education Management Information System |
1999/2000 |
|
|
|
Adopt education sector strategy |
June 1999 |
|
2. Health |
Improve health indicators |
Update health policy and prepare five-year strategic plan |
1998/99 |
|
|
|
Carry out regular and systematic monitoring of: |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- incidence and prevalence for major diseases/ conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and nutrition;
|
|
|
|
|
- service indicators, such as overall access to services and specific services, such as contraceptive use
|
|
|
|
Improve nutritional situation |
Implement program of locally based interventions supported by Nutrition and Early Childhood Development Project |
1998/99-2000/01 |
World Bank |
3. Statistics |
Improve statistical base |
Improve collection and reporting of national accounts, revenue, expenditure, BOP, and debt statistics, including through increased efforts to implement the recommendations of previous technical assistance missions |
1998/99-2000/01 |
Fund |
|
|
Provide adequate funding for statistical development |
1998/99-2000/01 |
|
1/ July 1998 to June 2001 |
Table 2. Uganda: Selected Economic and Financial Indicators, 1994/95-2000/011
|
|
1994/95 |
1995/96 |
1996/97 |
1997/98
|
1998/99 |
1999/00 |
2000/01 |
|
|
|
|
Prog. |
Prov. |
|
|
|
|
|
(Annual percentage changes, unless otherwise indicated) |
National income and prices |
|
GDP at constant prices |
10.5 |
8.1 |
5.2 |
5.0 |
5.5 |
7.0 |
7.0 |
7.0 |
GDP deflator |
9.2 |
6.2 |
6.5 |
8.8 |
4.4 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
GDP at factor cost |
|
(in billions of Uganda shillings) |
4,915 |
5,640 |
6,323 |
7,207 |
6,964 |
7,824 |
8,790 |
9,875 |
Consumer prices |
|
End of period |
3.4 |
5.4 |
10.4 |
7.5 |
-1.4 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
Nonfood |
6.2 |
7.2 |
1.7 |
... |
3.5 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
Annual average |
6.1 |
7.5 |
7.8 |
8.8 |
5.8 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
|
External sector (in U.S. dollars) |
|
Exports, f.o.b. |
134.5 |
-0.8 |
13.6 |
-22.5 |
-30.6 |
16.5 |
16.4 |
13.2 |
Imports, c.i.f. |
61.6 |
12.2 |
2.3 |
7.1 |
11.8 |
8.1 |
8.0 |
9.2 |
Terms of trade (deterioration -) |
72.2 |
-29.3 |
-11.4 |
4.0 |
15.0 |
-1.8 |
0.6 |
1.2 |
Average exchange rate |
|
(Uganda shillings per U.S. dollar) |
933 |
1,013 |
1,058 |
... |
1,150 |
... |
... |
... |
Nominal effective exchange rate |
|
(end of period; depreciation -) |
-6.8 |
-0.1 |
1.6 |
... |
-7.1 |
... |
... |
... |
Real effective exchange rate |
|
(end of period; depreciation -) |
-7.9 |
0.6 |
7.2 |
... |
-11.5 |
... |
... |
... |
|
Government budget |
|
Total revenue and grants |
37.3 |
15.2 |
16.9 |
11.0 |
16.5 |
17.0 |
11.1 |
11.1 |
Revenue |
44.7 |
19.1 |
16.6 |
10.9 |
8.8 |
19.1 |
16.1 |
16.8 |
Expenditure and net lending |
34.3 |
10.3 |
15.7 |
8.0 |
8.3 |
18.7 |
12.9 |
12.9 |
|
|
(Annual changes in percent of beginning-of-period broad money, unless otherwise indicated) |
Money and credit |
|
Net foreign assets |
33.9 |
22.9 |
33.0 |
12.2 |
38.7 |
15.0 |
11.1 |
13.8 |
Net domestic assets 2/ |
-3.4 |
-0.6 |
-12.5 |
4.3 |
-10.9 |
3.4 |
4.8 |
2.1 |
Domestic credit |
-12.3 |
21.2 |
2.7 |
4.4 |
-1.0 |
3.4 |
4.8 |
2.1 |
Central government |
-23.7 |
6.0 |
0.0 |
-5.6 |
-9.6 |
-8.6 |
-6.9 |
-8.9 |
Credit to the private sector |
11.4 |
15.2 |
2.6 |
10.0 |
8.6 |
12.0 |
11.8 |
11.0 |
Money and quasi money |
25.3 |
20.7 |
15.8 |
15.0 |
21.7 |
17.0 |
15.0 |
15.0 |
Velocity (GDP/M2) 3/ |
10.8 |
10.1 |
9.6 |
9.5 |
8.9 |
8.4 |
8.1 |
8.0 |
Interest rate (in percent) 4/ |
8.0 |
10.8 |
11.9 |
... |
12.3 |
... |
... |
... |
|
|
(In percent of GDP at factor cost) |
National income accounts |
|
Gross domestic investment |
18.4 |
16.7 |
17.1 |
20.5 |
16.9 |
17.1 |
17.1 |
17.1 |
Gross national savings (including grants) |
15.7 |
14.7 |
16.2 |
17.9 |
14.9 |
13.4 |
14.4 |
14.7 |
|
External sector |
|
Current account balance |
|
(including official grants) |
-2.7 |
-2.0 |
-0.9 |
-2.6 |
-2.0 |
-3.7 |
-2.7 |
-2.4 |
(excluding official grants) |
-8.4 |
-6.9 |
-6.0 |
-7.7 |
-8.3 |
-9.2 |
-7.6 |
-6.7 |
External debt (including Fund) |
62.4 |
61.1 |
56.4 |
56.7 |
54.2 |
52.2 |
49.0 |
45.9 |
|
Government budget |
|
Revenue |
10.7 |
11.1 |
11.6 |
11.4 |
11.4 |
12.1 |
12.5 |
13.0 |
Grants |
4.8 |
4.4 |
4.6 |
4.5 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
5.1 |
4.4 |
Total expenditure and net lending |
18.3 |
17.6 |
18.1 |
17.2 |
17.8 |
18.8 |
18.9 |
19.0 |
Government balance (excluding grants) |
-7.6 |
-6.5 |
-6.6 |
-5.8 |
-6.4 |
-6.7 |
-6.4 |
-6.0 |
Government balance (including grants) |
-2.8 |
-2.0 |
-1.9 |
-1.3 |
-0.7 |
-1.0 |
-1.3 |
-1.6 |
Net foreign financing |
4.8 |
3.5 |
3.3 |
2.9 |
2.8 |
3.3 |
2.4 |
2.6 |
Domestic bank financing |
-1.9 |
-0.5 |
-1.1 |
-0.5 |
-1.0 |
-0.9 |
-0.8 |
-1.0 |
Domestic nonbank financing |
-0.0 |
-0.9 |
-0.2 |
-1.0 |
-1.1 |
-1.4 |
-0.3 |
0.0 |
|
|
(In percent of exports of goods and nonfactor services) |
Debt-service ratio 5/ |
|
Including Fund obligations |
23.5 |
21.8 |
17.9 |
26.9 |
26.7 |
15.6 |
16.2 |
12.7 |
Excluding Fund obligations |
18.8 |
15.6 |
10.6 |
17.7 |
16.9 |
7.4 |
10.2 |
7.9 |
|
|
|
(In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
Overall balance of payments |
125.2 |
59.6 |
111.2 |
44.5 |
109.7 |
47.1 |
43.2 |
78.6 |
External payments arrears (end of period) |
234.6 |
255.0 |
314.2 |
0.0 |
273.5 |
0.0 |
-0.0 |
-0.0 |
Foreign exchange reserves |
388.2 |
479.7 |
621.9 |
693.4 |
750.5 |
832.7 |
900.7 |
974.8 |
|
Gross foreign exchange reserves (in months |
|
of imports of goods and nonfactor services) |
3.4 |
3.6 |
4.5 |
4.7 |
4.9 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
|
Sources: Ugandan authorities; and Fund staff estimates and projections. |
|
1/ Fiscal year begins in July. |
2/ Change in net domestic assets for 1998/99 through 2000/01 is calculated using constant exchange rate of U Sh 1,232 per U.S. dollar. |
3/ Nominal GDP divided by average of current year and previous year end-period money stocks. |
4/ End-period rate on 7-12 month time deposits. |
5/ The debt-service ratio incorporates estimates of the effects of the April 1998 Paris Club stock-of-debt operation and assumes rescheduling with non-Paris Club bilateral and commercial creditors on comparable terms. |