Hoima district local government has engaged Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA on harmonization and enhancement of local revenue collection.
Hoima district and Uganda Wildlife Authority are implementing memoranda of understanding with two sand mining companies in Mbegu, Kabale sub county in the Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve near Lake Albert.
Speaking during a one-day meeting on enhancement of revenue collection, John Makombo the director for Biodiversity in UWA said the two companies currently permitted to extract sand particularly Transmission company and RD Millers, should observe the terms and conditions in the memorandum of understanding each signed. He urged them to remit the agreed revenue percentages to Hoima district local government, to UWA and also ensure that the project affected communities get their 25 percent of the proceeds from sand extraction.
He said that more two companies had been permitted to extract sand in the same area and these are; God stay company and Fanageno company.
He urged the companies to improve on their relations with the local community through carrying out corporate social responsibility activities to give back to the community members.
The Hoima Chief Administrative Officer-CAO Emmanuel Ssempala urged the two companies to pay the agreed revenue to the district in time. He said the 25 percent which is supposed to be remitted back to the community will be effected accordingly for the benefit of the project affected areas.
He said that the companies and community should co-exist for peaceful extraction of the natural resource.
The Hoima LCV Chairman Uthuman Mugisha Kadiri warned the companies against violation of the terms and conditions adding that compliance should be their first priority.
He said that the community should be respected by giving it the share of the revenue as agreed in the memorandum of understanding each company signed before getting the sand extraction permits.
Kabyanga Milly Felix the director of Transmission company said that his company will clear all the debts in revenue to Hoima district within two weeks. He also said that he will continue to monitor all his extraction activities to ensure that there is compliance to environment restoration standards.
