The Internal Affairs Minister, Gen Kahinda Otafiire has said that he warned President Museveni about the digital number plates deal by Russian company, M/S Joint Stock Company Global Security but his letter went unanswered.
“I wrote that the Russian company can work with the current manufacturers of number plates in Uganda and explore the possibility of putting their chips on the number plates in Uganda. I intimated to him that it would be a bit insensitive for us to shut down a local manufacturer in favour of importation of number plates when we can do it here. I never received reply, I doubt whether the president received that communication,” Otafiire said.
The Internal Affairs Minister was facing the Physical Infrastructure committee of parliament about the implementation of the digital number plate project.
Otafiire told MPs on the committee that a benchmark report by police indicated that the Russian company’s system was not in use in any other country in the world, adding that claims by the company that it will be printing the number plates from Poland is untenable.
“The first time I got to know about this project other than the press was when Mr.Wavamuno(Gordon) wrote to me complaining about the shut down of his business in favour of Joint Stock and was suggesting they could work jointly.”
The minister said he later called the Permanent Secretary for Internal Affairs Ministry who said he didn’t know about the digital number plates deal.
“It is then I wrote to the president and suggested it would be a good idea if the Russian company worked with current number plate manufacturers in Uganda and explore possibility of installing chips in Uganda. I got a report about police officers who went to do due diligence about the company in Russia who highlighted that what they saw was a system for large fleet management and that it has never been enrolled anywhere in the world and that Russia itself does use that system,” Otafiire said.
He explained that the current frosty relations between Russia and Poland over the war in Ukraine might not allow a Russian company print the number plates in Poland.
“The team wanted to visit the factory and were told that it was in Poland and as far as I am concerned Poland is technically at war with Russia and any Russian company operating within NATO is under sanctions. I was wondering how we are going to implement this project in these circumstances. Unless otherwise, if those pushing this project can explain how this is going to be implemented, I have nothing more to add.”
The minister insisted that as the Minister for Internal Affairs under whom police which is going to implement the project falls has never been consulted about the digital number plate deal.
“I don’t know them and I have seen anybody from Global Security and I have never talked to anyone.
The URA Commissioner General threw the spanner in the works when he said the cost of shs735,000 for a digital number plate is too much.
He said it would push some people out of owning vehicles or motorcycles.
“If the cost is prohibitive, maybe a number of vehicle owners may not afford the number plates. I think it is important that the negotiators go for the most optimal because there is a benefit they want to achieve, but also a cost that would be draining money from taxpayers which could be spent on other areas, other than this technology. Charging Shs714,300 from boda boda, probably registration and clearance of boda bodas will significantly reduce, but I don’t have the numbers,” Musinguzi said.
The MPs on the physical infrastructure committee asked that all officials involved in the digital number plate deal be arrested.
Kampala City Traders Association, KACITA recently blamed government for rushing the digital number plate deal.
KACITA also raised concern over the “abnormal cost” of the digital number plates and the rational of payment gap that they say are unfair.
“We have noticed that the new cost will be more expensive compared to the that of regional neighbours like Kenya where number plates cost Ksh 3,000 (shs80,000) for motor vehicles and Kshs 1,500 (shs40,000) for motorcycles and they bear the same security features. Comparison on the costs per plate from shs125,000 to shs713,000 for motorcycles and from 137,000 to 713,000 for motor vehicles raises the overall cost of the unit and this is so ridiculous,” KACITA chairman, Musoke Thadeus Nagenda said recently.
He said dealers are already facing various financial challenges, including high fuel costs, maintenance expenses, insurance cents and increasing the cost of digital number plates and tracking devices to their financial burden will push them further into financial distress.
The traders asked to know the breakdown of the shs735,000 for each digital number plate to be undertaken by Russian company, M/S Joint Stock Company Global Security.
“We also need an inquiry on the status of the credibility of the service provider According to various reports, the company is said to be bankrupt and non-operational. There is also no proven track record where this company has carried the same project successfully yet we have credible local potential service providers that would do the same thus defeating the BUBU initiative. This compromises the national image and a potential ticking time bomb in case they fail to deliver, and to mention capital flight and repatriation.”
The traders said there will be administrative bureaucracies after government indicated that any changes on the car must be made after consultation with the chief licensing officer and in writing.
Story By: Ken Kazibwe @nilepost.
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