Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has warned foreigners allegedly colluding with high-ranking officials in government to win government contracts, that they risk cancellation when the ruling government is out of power.
The caution was sounded by FDC spokesperson Hon Semujju Nganda during a press briefing today at party headquarters in Najjanankumbi. Nganda said, whereas FDC welcomes foreign investors into the country, they cannot tolerate those who collude to fleece Ugandans.
Citing a case of Erica Pinetti -the Italian investor whose Finasi company won the contract in 2018 to build a specialized hospital in Lubowa, for which government continues to issue payments despite dismal returns on work done.
FDC says, at the moment, the population is at gun point and contracts signed at gun point will not be honoured.
“Of particular interest to FDC and the country Ms Enrica Pinetti, an Italian who was given hefty contracts on orders of Museveni…the same woman has been given contracts to monopolize our coffee and contracts to construct six roads…People coming to Uganda, please know that these contracts will not be honoured once the country gets rid of Museveni which is soon” Nganda said.
FDC says, Uganda is running a 16trillion debt fund to pay for interest and Pinetti is part of the reason tbe Finance ministry is now struggling to manage the national debt.
Nganda also made reference to 340billion which was paid to Pinetti and 319billion which has been appropriated in next financial year to fund Lubowa Hospital project yet less than a quarter of the project has been executed.
“And as Pinetti continues to smile her way to the bank government has not budgeted for the 24.1billion needed to rehabilitate and construct new facilities at Regional Referral Hospitals such as Masaka, Mbarara, Jinja, Iganga, Soroti, Mbale and Gulu.” Nganda said before adding;
“There is no money (Shs 8 billion) in the budget being considered by Parliament to buy medical equipment for regional referral hospitals but there is money for Pinetti.”
FDC’s warning did not spare local local investors who they also say are partaking the looting of the country.