Stakeholders and Friends of CoST Uganda,
Here is to wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2023,
As we reflect on the past year, we realize how much you have done for CoST Uganda in advancing transparency and accountability in public infrastructure delivery processes. We want to thank you for your partnership and wish you a very prosperous and happy new year.
We ended the year 2022 with many successes despite the challenging times. We registered commendable progress that included the following;
- Following our work on promoting disclosure of infrastructure data, Uganda was granted an OC4IDS publisher status having complied with the global infrastructure transparency standard following the alignment of the Government Procurement Portal to the standard.
- In addition, Uganda became the first CoST International member country to win the first CoST award in memory of Afredo Cantero, a much respected former CoST International Board member and Minister of Transparency in Hondurus.
- We also published our 5th Assurance report spanning 10 projects under the Ministry of Health.
Looking ahead, the experiences and lessons learnt from our work on how infrastructure projects are delivered across the country, reveal the growing need for transparency and accountability in the sector.
Uganda invests 32.8% of its annual budget into public infrastructure development, however, the sector has been characterized with inefficiencies, mismanagement and poorly constructed projects at the expense of citizens’ lives. Through our assurance processes we have observed a growing trend of unfair business practices, projects that are not completed within the stipulated time, budgets and scope, corruption in procurement, delayed payments of providers, lack of compliance with procurement regulations and local content, limited citizens and CSO participation in monitoring service delivery, growing reduction on disclosure of infrastructure data, and a painfully slow action on recommendations from non-state actors on issues related to infrastructure delivery among others. Unless measures are introduced that effectively improve this situation, billions will continue being lost and put to waste annually to corruption, mismanagement and inefficiency.
As we begin the year 2023, we invite you to reflect and imagine a Uganda without Infrastructure Transparency, Accountability and Citizen Participation. These are core pillars in the realization of quality infrastructure, a stronger economy and better lives. Let us join hands in influencing delivery of valuable and beneficial sustainable infrastructure projects.
Please join us this year again as we continue to implement our Business Plan and build back better together with infrastructure transparency.
Happy New Year 2023
