UN advises on need for increased investment in labour market

UNDP Resident Representative, Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie, cuts a ribbon to launch the 2014 Global Human Development Report in Kampala last week. Photo by RACHEAL AJWANG. 

By MARTIN LUTHER OKETCH

In Summary

Experts say there ought to be a policy in place to address unemployment.

Kampala

The United Nations has advised Uganda to invest heavily in finding labour market for her citizens in outside countries saying the move will lead to reduction in unemployment and increase in capital
remittances. This comes at a time when Uganda continues to face the problem of high unemployment rates, especially among the youth with just 400,000 entering the job market annually.

In an interview with Daily Monitor at the launch of the Global 2014 Human Development Report recently, Ms Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie, the United Nations Resident Co-ordinator and United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative in Uganda, said high levels of unemployment in Uganda can be solved within a short period of time because of the structure of Uganda’s economy.

“In the short-term, Uganda has to look for solution to unemployment by investing heavily in externalisation of labour force to job markets in countries where there are jobs but they don’t have people to employ,” she said.

Ms Ahunna said there are countries in the world that are facing the problem of ageing populations as well as low population growth, which Uganda should take advantage of by making formal agreement with such countries and sending people to those countries. Though there are strategies solving employment problems in Uganda by the government, Ms Ahunna said it cannot happen overnight or within a short period of time both in the industrial sector or in the agricultural sector.

“In Africa, and Uganda in particular we don’t have structure in place to ensure equitable distribution of available resources,” she said. Ms Ahunna said there should be a well-functioning policy in place to tackle Uganda and Africa’s Human Development challenges in a holistic manner. “There is enough evidence from China and other countries that shows that it is possible to progress from the low HDI to medium, or even higher, if the right policies and investments are made and properly implemented,” Ms Ahunna pointed out.

East African region and many other African countries, economic growth has been relatively by the regional and international standard which has painted bright future in the eyes of the international community that Africa is on the rise.

“Over the past few years there has been evidences that Africa is rising when it comes to investment opportunities and high GDP economic growth but it comes to Human Development African is at the bottom,” she revealed.

moketch@ug.nationmedia.com