The Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP), has asked government to consider providing additional support for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and unemployed persons who currently unable to earn a living due to lockdown measures.
Mathias Mpuuga, made the request in response to a statement by the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, on the status of implementation of government’s COVID-19 cash program.
Nabbanja reported that as of Wednesday July 21, the government had submitted a list of 413,504 persons to benefit from the COVID relief funds, representing 82.5% of the targeted number of beneficiaries.
But Mpuuga asked the PM to look into the possibility of raising the assistance level to cater for other needs beyond meals, such as helping them pay rent, and utilities.
“Apart from food, the cash relief did not consider other costs of daily living such as rent, water, electricity and medical care. These costs ought to have been incorporated in the computation of the cash transfer amount,” Mpuuga said.
Mpuunga further asked government to also consider extending support to private health facilities in form of incentives such as tax waivers on utilities, deployment of medical personnel, joint procurement of drugs and supply of oxygen.
Meanwhile, Mpuuga castigated the government for its continued stance to beg for vaccines from developed countries such as Norway, China and USA as shameful and holding the country’s efforts to relax lockdown measures.
“The Prime Minister is right to be concerned with the low vaccination rate of 4% of the initial target of 21.9 Million eligible population. With this progress, vaccination of the eligible population would only be realized after 12 years in 2033,” he said.
President Museveni had indicated that lockdown measures were meant to slow down the rate of spread of the COVID-19 disease but also allow the government to roll out vaccination, in time so as to allow society to resume movements.
