REMARKS BY THE HON. MINISTER OF WORKS AND TRANSPORT ON THE OCCASION OF THE VISIT BY THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF JAPAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGENCY (JICA) ON 9 TH MAY 2016 I most warmly welcome you Mr. Hirosi KATO, the Vice-President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to the Ministry of Works and Transport and in Uganda. Active Cooperation between the Government of Japan, through JICA, and the Government of Uganda dates back over 30 years ago. The Ministry of Works and Transport by virtue of the vital role played by Transport Infrastructure in the economy, is one of the major beneficiaries JICA support to Uganda. Since 1987 Government of Japan has extended numerous Grant Aid Projects as follows: 1. Supply of Construction Equipment and Spares i) Road Maintenance Equipment Supply of road maintenance equipment and supervisory vehicles worth 3.29 billion in 1987 distributed to upcountry stations for national road maintenance activities; Provided Grant Aid worth 263 million for procurement of 17 pieces of road equipment; Under Northern Uganda Reconstruction Programme (NURP), provided Grant Aid worth 591 million in 1993. 63 pieces of assorted plant, equipment and supervision vehicles were procured; and Under Counter Value Fund in 2003, extended Grant Aid worth 188 million for procurement of 16 pieces of road maintenance equipment and supervision vehicles. ii) JICA I - Rural Feeder Roads Rehabilitation Project. In 1989 a Grant Aid of 655 million (US $ 2.5 million) was extended for Rural Feeder Roads Rehabilitation Project. iii) JICA II Urban Roads Resealing Project. Encouraged by the success of JICA I, another Grant Aid was extended in 1991 for road construction equipment and spares to rehabilitate paved road surfaces in Urban Centres. 1
iv) JICA III Construction of Bugembe Mechanical Workshop. In 1995 Another Grant Aid was extended to construct and rehabilitate Bugembe Workshop into a modern facility. 2. IMPROVEMENT OF TRUNK ROADS IN KAMPALA 5 - Junctions were remodeled and signalized including Makerere, Wandegeya and Kibuye round abouts, Natete and Port Bell junctions (worth 780 million US $ 5 million) in 2000. Natete -Wakaliga-Bakuli road (3.8 km) was rehabilitated in 2003 with a Grant Aid worth 368 million US $ 3.12 million. Nsambya - Gaba road (7.9 km) was rehabilitated with a Grant Aid worth 332 million US $ 2.77 million in 2004. 3. IMPROVEMENT OF TRAFFIC FLOW IN KAMPALA CITY This project was implemented in two parts: Part one comprised remodeling and signalizing the Clock Tower and Shoprite roundabouts, signalizing the T-Junction on Kampala/Entebbe road junction and improvement of approximately 600m connecting Clock Tower to Entebbe road T- Junction, through a Grant Aid worth 316 million - US$ 3.00 million in 2007. 4. PRE- FEASIBILITY ON GREATER KAMPALA ROAD NETWORK AND TRANSPORT IMPROVEMENT The Scope include: Provision of a system of flyovers on Jinja road, Yusuf Lule road, Nile Avenue and Mukwano road to a dual carriageway; Improvement of Clock Tower and Shoprite Junctions; and Traffic safety improvements. The study cost benefitted from a Grant Aid of 280 million US $ 2.8 million. 2
5. PROJECT FOR SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FOR PROMOTING RETURN AND RESETTLEMENT OF INTERNALLY DISPLACEMENT PERSONS IN NORTHERN UGANDA In 2009 Government of Japan provided a Grant Aid of 1.34 billion US $ 13 million towards the above. A number of roads and bridges were rehabilitated/ constructed including the tarmacking of Olwiyo -Anaka road. 6. CONSTRUCTION OF 2 ND BRIDGE OVER THE NILE Works on this project are ongoing with the aim of securing communication on the Northern Corridor Route linking Uganda and its land-locked Central African neighbours. The total project length is 2,630m, including bridge section 525m (center span: 290m). The loan amount is 9.2 billion (approximately 84 mil USD). 7. CONSTRUCTION OF ATIAK-NIMULE ROAD Upgrading works on the above road, (36km) are nearing completion with a soft loan of 3.395 billion. 8. IMPROVEMENT OF GULU MUNICIPAL ROADS PROJECT Exchange of Notes, signifying effectiveness of the Grant Agreement was signed on 29 th April 2016. The Grant Aid amounting to about US $ 20.0 million will improve approximately 6.4 km of road within Gulu Municipal Council. Construction works are expected to commence by January 2017. 9. KAMPALA FLYOVER AND ROAD UPGRADING PROJECT Exchange of Notes and Loan Agreement were signed on 11 th September 2015. The loan amount is 200 billion (Approximately 182 mil USD). The biding documents for construction are under preparation. SGR interface demands around Kitgum House Junction has caused a delay in finalization of the design but is being handled for its technicality and safety. This demand also constitutes additional flyover length. 3
10. KAMPALA SMART TRAFFIC PROJECT A technical assistance to KCCA was extended from February 2015 to March 2018 (Approximately 3.2 Million USD). The project is aiming to enhance KCCA s capacity to manage the traffic flow and to reduce the serious traffic jams in the city. 11. MASTER PLAN ON LOGISTICS IN NORTHERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR The study commenced in March 2015 to August 2016 in collaboration between Government of Uganda and Government of Kenya under JICA support (approximately 3 million USD). It aims at formulating a Logistics Master Plan and establishing elaborate industrial development policy and plan along the economic corridor. Through the official discussions between Government of Uganda and Government of Kenya in Nairobi on 26 th April, 2016, both governments highly appreciated the well considered plan and agreed that the matter should be brought to each respective cabinet to be discussed and adopted as a national plan after the study is completed. 4
AREAS FOR FURTHER FUTURE COOPERATION We cherish the cooperation that we have had over the past 30 year period and we want it to continue for the betterment of our people. The following are the areas where we would request for further cooperation assistance: 1. Support to Reduce the Traffic Jam in Kampala I recognize and appreciate that JICA has contributed to the reduction of congestion in Kampala since the 1990s. KCCA will start Kampala Urban Traffic Master Plan, supported and financed by World Bank. Ministry of Works and Transport strongly requests that JICA should support some important aspects in the Master Plan for appropriate and harmonized urban traffic development, besides Kampala Flyover and Kampala Smart Traffic Project. 2. Support to Develop Northern Economic Corridor Area Following the Master Plan on Logistics in Northern Economic Corridor, Ministry of Works and Transport kindly request that JICA should take the lead for proper development of the corridor and propose some important projects to be included in the Master Plan. 3. Additional Grant Aid for Gulu Municipal Roads Improvement We appreciate the current Grant Aid for Improvement of Gulu Municipal Roads Project. Gulu Municipality, like the rest of the Acholi sub-region suffered a lot as a result of the two decade war. The proposed intervention for the current Grant Aid Project was to cover a total of 14km of roads. Depreciation of the Japanese Yen against the US $ over time led to reduction of coverage by over 50 %. We are appealing for a 2 nd Grant Aid to cover the reduction. 4. Support to Road Maintenance Using Force Account Whereas we are taking steps to strengthen the local construction industry to be able to take on effective maintenance of our road assets, we realize that it will take a bit of time to achieve this goal. For this reason, we have embarked on a programme of maintenance by Force Account. 5
We are in the process of procuring a sizable quantity of road equipment from Japan in the short term. We will therefore need support to strengthen the Regional Mechanical Workshops of Bugembe, Gulu, Mbarara and Fort Portal to handle maintenance of these equipment. The support should include training of Engineers, Technicians and Managers. 5. Repair / Rehabilitation of a set of Bridges in the Northern, Central, Eastern and Western Uganda Most of the bridge stock on our network were built in the colonial days. They are unable to carry the present day traffic and are a bottleneck and expensive to maintain. 6. Strengthening the Old Resealing Unit set-up by JICA over 15 years ago. Municipalities are upgrading and rehabilitating their road network under various programmes. There will be need for periodic maintenance interventions which could be carried out by well equipped Resealing Unit from the Centre. 7. Regional Projects We are in the process of formulating projects of regional nature which will promote regional trade and integration. At an appropriate time, we shall put the proposals to JICA and it is our hope that the proposals will be considered favourably. 6