GOVERNMENT HAS NO MONEY FOR LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS, SAYS MINISTER

The government does not have the money to facilitate local council I elections, the Minister for Local Government, Mr Adolf Mwesige, has said.
Presenting the ministry’s policy statement before the Parliamentary Public Service and Local Government Committee on Thursday, Mr Mwesige said the government needs Shs49 billion to conduct the elections but only has Shs19 billion.
“Like you heard in the budget, the government’s major focus is on infrastructure and energy development in order to boost production. Since there is a shift in priorities, we may not hold the LC1 elections soon,” Mr Mwesige said.

Sim card registration deadline

August 31 is now the deadline set by the Uganda Commissions Commission for Sim card registration. That is only the latest after a series of set deadlines and extensions of the same. The requirement for Sim card registration was announced almost a year ago. The messages were aired on the radio and TV, sent through on mobile phones and printed in the newspapers.

MUSEVENI SPEAKS OUT ON TEACHERS' SALARIES

President Yoweri Museveni has spoken out on the issue of increasing pay for the teachers, judicial officers and public servants in the security field, outlining how the Government plans to deal with the matter.

In a detailed statement issued on Tuesday, the President also explained the Government’s tax policy and defended the imposition of taxes on water and kerosene.

“Everybody in Uganda needs to be reminded that the NRM never taxes production activities. We never tax machinery for factories coming into the country, raw materials, scholastic materials, medicine and agriculture. We only tax luxurious consumption — beer, perfumes, cigarettes and petrol,” the President noted.

“We added bottled water, kerosene and a few others this year because they are consumer items and we need money to build roads, dams and other items of infrastructure mentioned above,” Museveni added in a statement.

“If we do not expand the revenue base by attracting and retaining investments, how then shall we pay better salaries and develop more infrastructure?,” Museveni wondered.

He said the Government plans to use the additional revenue that will be generated during the next financial year (2014-2015) to “deal with the additional priorities such as the pay for judicial officers, teachers, public servants in the security field and scientists.”

He said this financial year, the Government’s priority will be investment in infrastructure — roads and electricity.

Government starts monitoring internet use

The government has started monitoring all transactions and conversations conducted over the internet. This is said to be a measure to secure the public against cyber crimes as well as increasing national security.
The development follows a recent wave of cybercrimes targeting banks, telephone companies, government agencies and individuals. 

RECOMMENDABLE FOODS FOR PEOPLE WHO DONATE BLOOD

Vegetables, fruits, millet,  peas, sim sim, soya beans and milk and  two servings of raw vegetables a day.

“It is best to take them as salads, Most of the components can’t withstand high temperatures as they make them inactive.”

For blood formation, foods rich in folic acid, zinc, copper and phosphorous

These include; cabbage, lettuce, cornflower and spinach. Others are herbs including hybiscus and red beet roots.
also lean red meat and liver are also rich in iron, which helps in the formation of blood.
What you need to know before you donate blood
Two weeks prior to blood donation, it is advisable to increase intake of iron rich foods such as red meat, beans and dark green vegetables like spinach.

The night before, one should have a good night’s rest — at least two hours before the donation. Also have something light to eat and drink extra fluids the day before and on the day of donation.

Furthermore, on the day of donation, avoid fatty foods, as these appear in the blood several hours after eating and can affect the tests carried out on the blood and Drink plenty of fluids over the following 24 hours to rehydrate

Schools asked to emphasize mathematics.

The Ministry of Education’s assistant commissioner in charge of private schools, Ismail Mulindwa, has urged students and teachers to put more emphasis on mathematics.

Presiding over at this year’s annual prize-giving ceremony for the best students in the mathematics contests in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions at Makerere University on Saturday, he said the ministry still considers mathematics as a foundation for studying other relevant courses at higher levels.

“The Government is undertaking curriculum reforms with mathematics being one of the eight learning areas being considered,” said Mulindwa.

In the new curriculum, Mulindwa observed that mathematics will be modified to meet the needs of the 21st century.

Annually, Uganda Mathematical Society (UMS), an umbrella body, which brings together mathematics teachers, organises maths contests.