Doha, Qatar | AFP | Qatar’s state-of-the-art Hamad International bills itself as one of the most luxurious airports in the world — but on Tuesday, it was also one of the quietest. As a travel ban announced by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) came into …
Read More »LIVE: Museveni delivers State of the Nation Address 2017
In fulfillment of the constitutional requirement under Article101 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday delivered the State of the Nation Address, 2017. The president mainly gave accountability on particular government commitments and appraised the country of the plans and strategies for the …
Read More »South Africa in recession as economy shrinks 0.7% in Q1
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s economy unexpectedly contracted in the first quarter of this year, pushing the continent’s most advanced economy into its first recession since 2009, according to official statistics released Tuesday. The data, which also showed unemployment hitting a 14-year high, are expected to pile more …
Read More »Fighting abuse of Uganda’s labour abroad
Lillian Keene-Mugerwa is the managing director of International Employment Linkages (IEL). She spoke to the Independent’s Agnes E Nantaba about externalization of labour as a solution to Uganda’s unemployment. What key elements encompass your management philosophy? The whole issue in management waters down to value because even if you are …
Read More »KCCA okays UNRA, NWSC, Umeme work at Centenary Park
Uganda government agencies in charge of roads, water and electricity have been given the go-ahead by Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) to start work on several projects that will use part of the land now housing Centenary Park. According to a statement released by the office of the KCCA executive …
Read More »Airline industry sees higher profits in 2017
Cancún, Mexico | AFP | The International Air Transport Association (IATA) increased its profit forecast for the global airline industry Monday, citing surging demand. Total profits for the group’s 275 member airlines are now expected to hit $31.4 billion this year, up more than five percent from the previous forecast …
Read More »Uganda’s 2017/ 18 budget
Business leaders want economic reforms to boost the economy Planned government borrowing and increased taxes to fund the Shs29 trillion budget for financial year 2017/2018 have left investors and business leaders worried about the coming year, ahead of the budget announcement next week, an informal survey by The Independent has …
Read More »Making sense of Uganda’s current economic struggles
Kampala, Uganda| CSBAG| Every time a government official comes out to explain why the economy is poorly performing, they cite external and natural factors. These range from slow growth in China, to fall in commodity prices, tight financing conditions in Europe, and geo-political events such as Brexit and U.S politics. …
Read More »ANALYSIS: There’s more to Africa’s growth story than lagging income rates
Pretoria, South Africa| Jakkie CILLIERS | ISS TODAY| As part of the ‘Africa rising’ narrative, much has been made of the continent’s growth story. The global recession of 2007/8 hit Africa hard, but it remained remarkably resilient, with growth forecast to 2030 at around 1.3% faster than average growth rates …
Read More »UAE’s Etihad to suspend flights to Qatar
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | AFP | Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways said Monday it would suspend flights to Qatar after the United Arab Emirates was among major Gulf states to sever ties with Doha in an unprecedented regional crisis. Etihad said flights would stop on Tuesday, after the UAE, …
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