UN report launch renews debate on resilience building post-COVID-19

November 4, 2020

Government Ministers, United Nations officials and key stakeholders stand beside the signed board marking the launch of the report on the Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-19 in Uganda. Photo credit: UNDP Uganda/ Henry Nsubuga

Government, United Nations officials, policy makers and thought leaders on sustainable development have called for quick adoption of measures to restore business confidence and work towards inclusive recovery to curtail effects of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and support the attainment of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This was during the launch of the United Nations (UN) report on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 in Uganda. Titled, “Leaving No One Behind: From the COVID-19 Response to Recovery and Resilience Building; Analysis of the Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-19 in Uganda,” the report was launched during a three-hour event aired live on NTV Uganda.

It featured welcome remarks by UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Rosa Malango, opening remarks by Hon. Mary Karooro Okurut, Minister in Charge of General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister; a powerful keynote address delivered by Hon. Dr. Gabriel Ajedra, Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development; a presentation of the key highlights from the report by Dr. Antonio Querido, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representative in Uganda, and a spirited panel discussion moderated by Ms. Elsie Attafuah, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Uganda. The event closed with an official launch of the report.

Ms. Rosa Malango (left) offers the welcome address during the launch of the report.

From left to right - Ms. Rosa Malango, Prof. Pamela Mbabazi, Chairperson of the National Planning Authority (NPA) and UNDP Uganda Resident Representative Ms. Elsie Attafuah speak before the official ceremony. Photo credit: UNDP Uganda/ Henry Nsubuga

Despite its effects, COVID-19 presents opportunities which Hon. Mary Karooro Okurut said need to be harnessed, “Despite the countless hardships, the pandemic has provided us with opportunities for increased production and value addition. Government has seized the opportunity and is working closely with the private sector to harness these opportunities.”

She disclosed that government has availed additional public resources for health spending, is supporting vulnerable groups most affected by the pandemic such as youth, women and the elderly through social protection interventions and is reigniting business activity through provision of additional resources through Uganda Development Bank.

COVID-19 is increasing socioeconomic hurdles

Ms. Malango underscored the effects of pandemic to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “This has consequences for the overarching principle of Leaving No One Behind. It is, therefore, imperative that we embrace an inclusive response plan to confront the damaging socio-economic effects of the pandemic while taking full advantage of the opportunities that have come with it.”

The preparation of the UN Report was in response to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, call for comprehensive studies to inform response to the pandemic. The UN Secretary-General designated the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as the technical leader on socioeconomic assessment of COVID-19. This is the first COVID-19 UN inter-agency effort led by UNDP under the overall leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator, to generate understanding of the pandemic at the country level and potential entry points for recovery.

The report indicates that an estimated 4.4 million informal sector workers in Uganda will see their earnings fall below the poverty line or totally dry up as a result of the direct and indirect consequences of the crisis. In addition, the challenge is likely to amplify public debt risks as Government tries to find resources to manage the socio-economic challenges.

FAO Representative in Uganda, Dr. Antonio Querido delivers key highlights of the report

Hon. Dr. Gabriel Ajedra provides the keynote address. Photo credit: UNDP Uganda/ Henry Nsubuga

Further in the program was a presentation of key findings of the report, presented by Dr. Querido. Speaking to the high-level impacts of COVID-19, he stated, “In Uganda, initial estimates suggest that national poverty rates could rise between approximately 2 and 8 percentage points, with the hardest hit to vulnerable and marginalized groups such as informally employed women, people with disabilities and chronic conditions, youth, and the elderly. Tourism, manufacturing and services sectors will also be disproportionately affected. The tourism industry, for example, may lose approximately $5 billion in revenue in the next five years.”

Experts deliberate a resilience roadmap

The main item on agenda was the panel discussion moderated by Ms. Elsie Attafuah the Resident Representative of UNDP Uganda. It featured Prof. Pamela Mbabazi (Chairperson of the National Planning Authority (NPA), Ms. Emma Mugisha (Executive Director of Stanbic Bank), Dr. Rodgers Mukwaya (Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and Ms. Moureen Wagubi, (Executive Director, Institute for Social Transformation) and Mr. Musa Kasozi (Executive Director, Youth After School Initiative(YASI). 

Ms. Elsie Attafuah during the panel discussion on resilience building in Uganda. Photo credit: UNDP Uganda/ Henry Nsubuga

Ms. Moureen Wagubi (right) during the panel discussion on resilience building in Uganda. Photo credit: UNDP Uganda/ Henry Nsubuga

During the animated panel discussion, Ms. Attafuah harnessed panellist expertise to unpack how Uganda can move forward in light of the crisis, not only to overcome challenges but also to utilize opportunities. Topics on the table included private and public sector investment, local economic development as a driver for industrialization, natural disaster resilience, public sector reform, and digital transformation. Critically, the conversation highlighted the need for periodically updated analysis on the impacts of the COVID-19, so that decisionmakers can make agile and well-informed policy choices.

Ms. Attafuah expressed the need for enhanced stakeholder engagement including provision of incentives to attract private sector investments with strong multiplier effects on growth. Prof. Mbabazi reinforced this position by adding that productivity must be extended in the push to make Uganda more digital. She asserted that E-Governance systems at all levels will ensure government and private sector business continuity. Some studies indicate that a 1% improvement in the quality of E-Governance increases growth by close to 2%. Coupled with the harmonization of regional responses, the dividends of E-governance are vast.

The launch of the Report also ushered in a new phase of the UN in Uganda’s COVID-19 response that include updates to this analysis. With this event, UNDP and the wider UN agencies reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind in the COVID-19 response, and to its promise that Uganda will emerge from the crisis a more resilient nation.