President Yoweri Museveni has said Africans intend to speak with one voice during the upcoming US-Africa summit due in August, to promote trade and create jobs for the youth on the continent.
“There are signs of Africans uniting. We plan to speak with one voice,” the President said in reference to the USA- Africa Summit scheduled to take place in the USA later this year.
President Museveni said that empowering the youth in Uganda and Africa as a whole was a good idea and proposed that the USA government would do better by empowering the community while including the youth in the package.
The President meeting with the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea at the sidelines of the 23rd ordinary session on the African Union Summit.
He said that the important issues to be addressed are trade between the United States of America and the African countries and observed that the countries that had a minimum base such as South Africa and Kenya got a simulate through the AGOA program.
President Museveni said that through trade access, a country earns more foreign exchange and creates income, adding that infrastructure is crucial for development.
He noted that Uganda did not benefit much from AGOA adding that one of the reasons for not doing so was the lack of good infrastructure.
He emphasized that through the provision of infrastructure such as roads, a good railway network and electricity there would be a lot of progress.
He revealed that the NRM Government was fully committed to promote the services sector with particular reference to tourism.
He called on the USA Assistant Secretary of State Linda Thomas and her delegation to attract American investors to Uganda.
President Museveni said that the Government strategy today was to lower the cost of doing business adding that this would create more employment for the youth.
The President and the guests also discussed the situation prevailing in South Sudan.
The USA Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas and her delegation revealed that they were pleased to attend the African leaders’ Summit and informed the President that trade and investment will be among the highlights of the up-coming US-Africa summit that will be held under the theme “Investing in the next generation.”
They proposed arranging to provide capital for the young entrepreneurs.
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