Ugandan MPs to get new 4x4s (Gov't to provide 300+ vehicles; desperately poor public is outraged)

News 24 (South Africa) ^ | January 10, 2007

[Stoat]

Ugandan MPs to get new 4x4s

10/01/2007 17:18  - (SA)  

 

Kampala - Impoverished Uganda has bowed to demands to buy each of its more than 300 members of parliament (MPs) a brand new 4x4 vehicle costing up to $67 000 each, reported a state-owned newspaper on Wednesday.

After several weeks in which MPs threatened to drag their feet on other parliamentary business until their demands for a grant to buy 4x4s were met, the government said it would buy them vehicles itself, said the New Vision daily.

Parliamentary spokesperson Helen Kawesa said: "The argument of the MPs is that government is supposed to facilitate their transport and this is what they needed."

Government officials were not immediately available for comment.

The New Vision quoted parliamentary commissioner Justine Lumumba as saying the government would have to spend $45 000-$67 000 on each vehicle because government policy discouraged buying second hand cars.

It will also pay for drivers and maintenance.

Newspapers filled with angry letters

"We want the vehicles immediately. You have seen permanent secretaries and commissioners, who are below MPs, being driven in Land Cruisers. Ours should be befitting the legislature," Lumumba was quoted as saying.

Local newspapers have filled up with angry letters and editorials accusing the MPs of greed.

President Yoweri Museveni last week made a public plea to lower their expectations from the cash-strapped treasury.

Amongst the legislation that MPs still have to vote is the deployment of peacekeepers to Somalia.

Uganda is one of the world's poorest nations, ranking 145th on the 2006 United Nations (UN) human development index, out of 177 countries.

It would take the average Ugandan earning $300 a year more than 200 years to earn the cash needed to buy one of the more expensive vehicles, said analysts.

In neighbouring Kenya, MPs regularly vote to give themselves big salary increases and allowances to buy luxurious cars despite criticism from many Kenyans who are trapped in horrible poverty.

[Stoat]

Uganda is one of the world's poorest nations, ranking 145th on the 2006 United Nations (UN) human development index, out of 177 countries.

It would take the average Ugandan earning $300 a year more than 200 years to earn the cash needed to buy one of the more expensive vehicles, said analysts.

Anyone wondering why so very much of Africa remains desperately poor, generation after generation, despite breathtaking volumes of international aid need look no further than this.

 

 

[stevio]

Foreign aid - Giving money to rich people in poor countries from poor people in rich countries.

[kinghorse]

And some Rayban Aviator sunglasses. Can't forget those when you are running a country like an olive import company. Apologies to the olive importers. Can't forget those when you are running a country like a gang.

[Master Shake]

Uh oh - watch your wallets! It looks like another item is going to be added to the Dems' first 100 hours agenda....

[L98Fiero]

I have pointed uot to my liberal "friends" that if you wanted to really help these people, the LAST thing you should do is send money to these places. Feel-good donors are just empowering and enriching the corrupt leadership and harming those they claim to help. Liberals cannot make that logical connection, evidently.

[Stoat]

Foreign aid - Giving money to rich people in poor countries from poor people in rich countries.

Excellent point.  Upon reflection, I'm thinking that I should revise my initial comment to something like:

Anyone wondering why so very much of Africa remains desperately poor, generation after generation, because of breathtaking volumes of international aid need look no further than this.

I rather doubt that abuses like this would be quite so frequent if African governments were forced to live within their means, and aid were to be withheld if governments failed to adhere to coherent and beneficial policies.

When you have an endless flow of money and aid coming in that will continue regardless of your actions, what incentive is there to improve your country?

 

 

Anyone wondering why so very much of Africa remains desperately poor, generation after generation, because of breathtaking volumes of international aid need look no further than this.

I rather doubt that abuses like this would be quite so frequent if African governments were forced to live within their means, and aid were to be withheld if governments failed to adhere to coherent and beneficial policies.

When you have an endless flow of money and aid coming in that will continue regardless of your actions, what incentive is there to improve your country?

[Stoat]

I have pointed uot to my liberal "friends" that if you wanted to really help these people, the LAST thing you should do is send money to these places. Feel-good donors are just empowering and enriching the corrupt leadership and harming those they claim to help. Liberals cannot make that logical connection, evidently.

Agreed, and their lack of interest in accepting this basic premise is another in the endless indictments of liberalism as being about feeling good as opposed to doing good.

[Stoat]

Uh oh - watch your wallets! It looks like another item is going to be added to the Dems' first 100 hours agenda....

That would certainly be in keeping with their overall philosophy.

Providing stylish housing for terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere might be on their agenda as well.

[Stoat]

And some Rayban Aviator sunglasses. Can't forget those when you are running a country like an olive import company. Apologies to the olive importers. Can't forget those when you are running a country like a gang.

I'm wondering if Raybans would be suitably elitist for them.....

"Ours should be befitting the legislature," Lumumba was quoted as saying. "

Perhaps there's a designer label that is more exclusive and expensive?  I wonder what brand Gaddafi favors?

 

[KantianBurke]

Looks like this is the final destination of some of Bush's billions for AIDS in Africa. What a waste!

[Billthedrill]

It would take the average Ugandan earning $300 a year more than 200 years to earn the cash needed to buy one of the more expensive vehicles, said analysts.

Is that $300 a year before the taxes necessary to purchase $67,000 cars for their legislators, or after them?

[Stoat]

It would take the average Ugandan earning $300 a year more than 200 years to earn the cash needed to buy one of the more expensive vehicles, said analysts.

Is that $300 a year before the taxes necessary to purchase $67,000 cars for their legislators, or after them?

I'm seeing other sites showing a $300. figure as being the average "annual income" as well, and so I'm assuming that this would be a gross income figure.  According to the stoat calculator, $67,000.00 divided by $300.00 equals 223.333   Assuming an eighty percent tax on income in a breathtakingly corrupt and brutal 'country' like Uganda, that would leave the average citizen with $60. yearly net income.  Assuming that it all went to the purchase of the car,  it would take 1116.66 years for the average Ugandan to buy the car.  That, however, doesn't include dealer prep, license tabs and local extortion payoffs to government officials.  Add probably another thousand years to cover that amount..  If you want the deluxe floor mats, well.....

It would take the average Ugandan earning $300 a year more than 200 years to earn the cash needed to buy one of the more expensive vehicles, said analysts.

Is that $300 a year before the taxes necessary to purchase $67,000 cars for their legislators, or after them?

[Stoat]

Looks like this is the final destination of some of Bush's billions for AIDS in Africa. What a waste!

Yes, I guess that the "AIDS plan" is to insure a cushy life for legislators and politicians while AIDS kills off the rest of the population.