By Joshua Niyonshima
The Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs has urged government agencies operating at the One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) to work together and be mindful of representing Uganda since they are the gateway into the country.
Hon. Nyendwoha Norah Bigirwa ,the Committee Chairperson made this call during a visit to Mirama Hills and Mutukula OSBPs last week. She explained that the tour was a fact-finding mission on international relations and trade around the borders.
“This visit will inform parliament on how international relations are being handled across OSBPs. It is fundamental to the decision-making, policy formulation, and budget allocation roles of parliament,” she said.
Nyendwoha challenged officials from URA, immigration, security, and other government agencies to be ambassadors of Uganda at their places of duty.
“We regard this country as the Pearl of Africa; is it really depicting it? You are the ambassadors to Uganda on this border; be representative of our values and culture, and market what our country carries. It is essential for you to be patriotic and resilient in in-service delivery,” the honorable noted.
In his address, Ojambo Paul, the Regional Manager of South Western Uganda, appreciated the Committee for making it to the borders to ascertain the working conditions of Ugandans and assess the economic situation on the ground. He asked Parliament to support URA with more housing units for the safety of officers.
The Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs becomes the second committee from the house to visit OSBPs this year. Recently, the Committee on Finance, Planning, and Economic Development visited them to ascertain their operations.
