standards for Australia

prices being higher than the prevailing market rates is wrongly overly attributed to With Holding Tax. 2) The key cost drivers are: • the long distances travelled by suppliers to deliver inputs due to absence of local stockists • the premium charged because NAADS delays payments to suppliers

The United Kingdom was one of the first countries in the world to develop formal private pension arrangements (beginning in the 18th Century) and was also one of the first to begin the process of reducing systematically unfunded state provision in favour of funded private provision (beginning in 1980). This explains why the UK is one of the few countries in Europe that is not facing a serious pensions crisis. The

Stratospheric ozone abundances are dependent on a balance of chemical processes that both produce and destroy ozone and dynamical processes that transport ozone throughout the stratosphere. The chemical processes depend on atmospheric temperatures and the abundances of ozone-depleting substances and other trace gases, such as water vapor and nitric oxides. Transport depends on heating in the atmosphere, which also depends on the distribution and abundance of trace gases, such as carbon dioxide, ozone-depleting substances, and ozone. Atmospheric temperature, transport, and trace gas amounts, for example, are all aspects of Earth’s climate. As these and other climate parameters change as result of human activities and natural variability, ozone abundances will decrease or increase in response in a manner that depends on a variety of factors.

of the NaƟ onal Development Plan (2010/11-2014/15) is “Increasing household incomes and promoƟ ng equity”. Among the key indicators to measure this objecƟ ve is changes in agricultural producƟ on and producƟ vity arising from equitable uƟ lizaƟ on of naƟ onal resources and development projects. Using

to poverty. Implementation of the grid extension projects to increase rural electrification: What are the key constraints? Overview Over the past 10 years, Government of Uganda (GoU) has commiƩ ed a lot of funds to rural electrifi caƟ on through construcƟ on of various power lines across the country. Rural

z Stringent terms and conditions limited effective implementation of the ACF loaned projects. z The limited benefi ciaries’ knowledge of the terms has exacerbated the problem. z Provision of sub standard equipment made operations very costly and repayment of loans close to impossible. Overview The Agricultural Credit Facility (ACF) was set up by Government of Uganda (GoU) in 2009 and its main objective is to commercialize agriculture through provision of medium and long term fi nancing for projects engaged in agriculture, agro processing, modernization and mechanization. As at 31 March 2013, a total of 169 projects had been fi nanced accounting for Shs.102 billion contributed by both the GoU and the Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs). The Budget Monitoring and Accountability Unit (BMAU) monitored ACF loans/investments worth UShs.29, 869,206,289 for 35 benefi ciaries. Of these, 80% of the farmers mentioned challenges related to terms and conditions of the fund to have limited access and usability of loans received. This brief highlights the terms and conditions that have hindered effective implementation of the ACF by reviewing some of the fi nanced projects. It also then suggests ways as to how government with other stakeholders can enhance implementation of the facility.

• Poor governance and management pracƟ ces due to the incompetence and fraudulent pracƟ ces of the Board members of some borrowing insƟ tuƟ ons. They cannot eff ecƟ vely supervise the fi nancial fl ows of their insƟ tuƟ ons. • Security requirement; as a delinquency control measure for all loans above 100 million has limited some potenƟ al clients from accessing credit from the Centre. • Low outreach to potenƟ al clients for the credit services and products off ered by MSC. • Poor repayment culture especially in regions previously aff ected by the war. These communiƟ es are used to free handouts from Government. • PoliƟ cal interference where some poliƟ cians have misinformed communiƟ es that MSC funds are free and should not be paid back. Microfinance Support Centre’s provision of Institutional loans: Why is uptake declining?

projects are not guided by feasibility studies. 2. ImplementaƟ on of Industrial projects without feasibility studies leads to low project success and hence wasteful expenditures. 3. Feasibility studies of some government industrial projects are undertaken in the middle of project implementaƟ on. Are feasibility studies guiding the IndustrializaƟ on process? Overview A feasibility study is an analysis of the viability of an idea. The feasibility study focuses on helping answer the essenƟ al quesƟ on of “should we proceed with the proposed project idea? ” All acƟ viƟ es of the study are directed toward helping answer this quesƟ on. Feasibility studies can be used in many ways but primarily focus on proposed business ventures. Industrialists and others with a business idea should conduct a feasibility study to determine the viability of their idea before proceeding with the development of a business. Determining early that a business idea will not work saves Ɵ me and money. A feasible business venture is one where the business will generate adequate cash-fl ow and profi ts, withstand the risks it will encounter, remain viable in the long-term and meet the goals of the founders. This policy brief analyses the contribuƟ on of feasibility studies in guiding implementaƟ on of government industrial projects. BMAU BRIEFING PAPER (3/14) Background The industrial sector is an integral part of the Uganda government`s overall development strategy outlined in the National Development Plan (NDP) and Vision 2040. Experiences from developed and emerging economies show that there is a strong positive correlation between industrialization and development. “The 2008 global fi nancial crisis publicised the need to have a strong industrial base to cushion the economy from external shocks Uganda Vision 2040 April 2013. A strong and competitive industrial base is therefore, important to create employment and a resilient economy.” Experiences from East Asian countries, such as

technologies and inputs even with the new system of procurement. This is partly due to local connivance between beneficiary farmers and suppliers. Ü Poor dissemination of public information that has left many beneficiary farmers half informed. This loophole has been used by some NAADS implementers to provide conflicting financial information. Ü Lack of sanctions for poor suppliers has undermined the procurement system. This has led to continued late supply of technologies and inputs to the detriment of seasonal crop farming. Ü Limited capacity of farmers in the Village Procurement Committees has limited effectiveness of procurement system. This is worsened by the annual change of members that calls for continued capacity building which is costly.