About Us
Background
Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) was launched by H.E the President in July 2013 as an intervention to efficiently facilitate national socio-economic transformation, with a focus on raising household incomes and wealth creation by transforming subsistence farmers into commercial farmers to end poverty. This was after successful implementation with tangle outcomes of the pilot program launched to support Civilian-Veterans in the “Luwero-Rwenzori Triangle”
Specific Objectives:
i) To mobilize the masses to engage in commercial
agricultural activities to boost household incomes;
ii) To distribute production inputs equitably and timely
to boost production and productivity at household level;
iii) To facilitate rural technological upgrading
to allow smallholder farmers to transform themselves into
small-scale industrialists;
iv) To stimulate local and community enterprise
development across the country; and
v) To facilitate infrastructure development
particularly in rural areas.
vi) To empower the 68% of the population outside
the money economy.
Operations Strategy
Phase 1: Mobilization and deployment to ensure
our farmers and the masses at large are sensitized to adapt to new
farming methods with total mindset change to enable them earn to
achieve economic social transformation of the vision 2020. This is
now ongoing. This phase will end in July 2017
Actions
Since 2015, officers have been deployed in all the 112 districts,
constituencies, including KCCA and municipalities.
Several inputs (seeds, seedlings, livestock, poultry etc), Value
addition and mechanization equipment and technologies have been
distributed and embraced overwhelmingly.
Phase 2: Stabilization of phase 1 efforts and to
ensure policy change, make possible measures to acquire all
identified gaps which could corrupt the system or allow saboteurs
to reverse our achievements in phase 1 as discussed above.
Phase 3: Consolidation. Will now ensure
that the masses embrace the most economic gains and guard it
jealously to avoid possible negative influence that could derail
these great achievements. Operations would also widen and deepen
it to create popularity from within and beyond our borders to
attract direct investors to increase opportunities to our new
graduates. Establish skilling institutions to warrant
sustainability for assured bright future of wealth beyond vision
2020.
Phase 4. Exit Strategy. Is to create a conducive
environment to allow smooth hand over to the patriots.
Achievements
a) We have created debate on service delivery
approaches including use of the private sector in the agricultural
sector development. The arguments are constructive and better
results are expected in the near future.
b) We have identified the existing gaps for
instance inadequate policy framework and regulation in the sector
which will help to provide targeted interventions in agriculture.
c) We have increased interaction between
government and the people; 6.2 million Ugandans have responded to
OWC and are eager to participate. Many make requests for inputs
and value addition equipment which are inadequate in quantities.
d) Together with NAADS, OWC has embarked on
mobilizing stakeholders in the sector to build value chain
platforms e.g. The fruit sector platform, the coffee sector
platform and organic farmer’s platform etc. Such platforms have
improved farmers bargaining power, knowledge, market search and
also strengthened their voice in demanding and accessing for
better services.
e) OWC has facilitated and participated in
progressive debates in the agriculture sector towards increased
productivity and growth. In collaboration with partners and
universities, OWC has engaged in a number of studies whose
findings can contribute to policy.
The Future of OWC
We have identified the major challenges that Uganda faces as:
a. How to convert agriculture into a high value
sector, raise productivity, increase number of Ugandans engaged in
commercialized agriculture, and increase house hold incomes.
b. How to expedite conversion of people from
basic agriculture to industry and service sectors.
c. How to facilitate structural transformation of
the economy to create more jobs for the thousands of young people
that graduate from education institutions every year.
d. How to improve export performance to boost the
value of the shilling to
international currencies. To address these challenges, we need to
promote market demand-driven agricultural production. “Demand
Creates Supply”.
This calls for stabilization of farm-gate prices, reduction of
post-harvest losses, and value addition. These interventions will
provide the incentive to peasants to raise productivity.
Well-structured agro-processing will help achieve these goals.
On a broader scale, we need to squarely face the effects of
Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) on the command, control,
coordination and communication (the 4Cs) of the development
process in Uganda.
Effective coordination of all government agencies involved in the
agricultural value chain and the development process at large is
crucial to the pursuit of socio-economic transformation hence the
Uganda Development Forum (UDF).