Five mistakes the government must avoid during Coronavirus crisis

PETER NYANZI

During times of crisis, we all become prone to making mistakes that could portend more long-term danger than the crisis itself. Here are five mistakes our Government must avoid at all costs:

1.Neglecting other killer diseases

With all focus now on Covid-19, it is apparent that other killer diseases such as Malaria (the number one killer!), TB, HIV, Cholera, etc are being pushed to the sidelines. This is a terrible blunder. With the rainy season now in full gear, measures to fight malaria and water-borne diseases must not be disrupted.

Also, there tens of thousands of people on ARVs and anti-TB treatment. Should their treatment programs be disrupted, chances of developing resistance to their drugs will be high and very costly in terms of more infections and lost lives. Put in modalities to prevent this from happening!

2. Refusing to clear domestic arrears

The government’s domestic arrears – money owed to the Private Sector - are estimated to be in trillions. It will be a terrible mistake if the government continues to hold onto this money during this crisis.

What the government wants is for money – the life blood of the economy - to keep flowing through the system.

All private sector suppliers that have valid LPOs and invoices should be paid immediately, and more so since the operational vote accounts of most of the ministries, departments and agencies are now idle.

Call up suppliers and ask them to submit invoices and remit money to their bank accounts. If there’s no money to bail out private sector players, the least the Government should do is clear their debts!

3. Wasting the planting season:

It is unfortunate that the Coronavirus crisis has coincided with the first planting season of the year. With the high demand for food as families stock up for consumption, there’s a likelihood that many farmers will lose their seed and thus a whole planting season. Several months from now, there will be no harvest. The Government, through NAADS and OWC, must procure and ensure an uninterrupted supply of seeds to farmers. Government farms, especially prison farms, must double their acreage.

4. Ignoring the security forces

The Government is deploying the security forces – LDUs, Police and UPDF – in the anti-Coronavirus fight but it is apparent that they have not been provided with adequate protective gear. Big mistake; the men in uniform must be equipped with protective wear on top of their normal uniforms.

5. Making it President Museveni’s war

Unlike other countries where the fight against the virus is largely framed as everyone’s responsibility, we appear to have made it our president’s thing.

You keep hearing even top government officials talking of ‘the President’s directives’ etc. I think the President is not the goal-owner here; we all are. The government shouldn’t be loading all the responsibility onto one office.

Where are the opposition leaders? Where are the cultural leaders? The Government must involve all these for a multi-pronged approach to the crisis.

The author is a journalist.