Luxembourg City, Luxembourg: Uganda’s Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Betty Amongi, is participating in the Global Government Summit in Luxembourg, where leaders are recommitting to the goals of the Second World Summit for Social Development and scaling up actions on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The summit, which has drawn global policymakers and development experts, focuses on key African priorities such as poverty eradication, employment creation, decent work for all, social inclusion, and achieving the continental Agenda 2063 without leaving anyone behind.
Speaking at the summit, Minister Amongi reiterated Uganda’s dedication to implementing the African Union’s Agenda 2063, noting that the country has rolled out strategic interventions aimed at driving inclusive development and post-pandemic recovery, particularly in rural communities.
“Rebuilding from the pandemic requires increased and targeted investments in rural development. That’s why Uganda designed a rural-based capital financing model to support cooperative banks at the lowest level of community through the Parish Development Model (PDM),” she said.
According to Amongi, Uganda is investing up to USD 500 million annually in agricultural value chain financing through PDM, targeting the 39% of citizens previously excluded from the money economy. The goal, she said, is to lift these communities out of poverty by anchoring rural households into income-generating agriculture.
Amongi emphasized that focusing on small-scale food production and empowering rural farmers will not only boost food security but also leverage free land and labour — the two key assets of rural communities — for sustainable development.
Women and Youth in Focus
Hon Amongi also highlighted Uganda’s targeted support for women entrepreneurs and youth through partnerships with development agencies and financial institutions.
“With support from the World Bank, we are implementing a USD 217 million Women Entrepreneurs Financing programme to support recovery and resilience for micro and medium women-owned businesses,” she said.
She further revealed that the government, in collaboration with commercial banks, has initiated a USD 200 million recovery fund to provide affordable, long-term credit to private investors, especially targeting micro and small enterprises (MSEs) and rural economies.
The minister also outlined key credit-based interventions such as the Youth Livelihood Programme, Youth Venture Capital Fund, Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme, and EMYOOGA, all aimed at job creation, value addition in agriculture, and fostering inclusive economic transformation.
In the spirit of “leaving no one behind,” Minister Amongi underscored Uganda’s commitment to protecting vulnerable populations. She cited ongoing initiatives such as the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE), which provides monthly cash support to older persons aged 80 and above.
“We also support those aged 65–79 through enterprise start-up grants, and have special grants for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), children with severe disabilities, and women entrepreneurs,” she said.
The Global Government Summit continues through the weekend with focus sessions on financing for development, digital transformation in governance, and international cooperation for social equity.
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