Archive for category: Coopertives

KAMPALA, Uganda: Cooperators have been urged to embrace the culture of saving if they’re to lead better lives in retirement.

The call was made during the Cooperative Symposium held at the Silver Springs Hotel in Kampala on Friday. The half-day symposium, held under the theme: ‘Coops 4 Decent Work’ was attended by policymakers, analysts, academicians, and cooperators drawn from across the country.

Addressing participants on planning for retirement, the director communications at the Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (UBRA), Hajji Hassan Nakakande argued that it is possible to rally cooperators to prioritize saving:

“We can change the minds of the cooperators to consider saving for retirement as a priority. Let’s establish & license our own operative voluntary retirement scheme and we save for our old age,” he said.

Supplementing Hajji Nakabaale’s remarks, Mr. Sajabi Geoffrey the Head of Business at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) called upon cooperators to always think about tomorrow: “Uncertainty will always be with us. You need, as cooperators, to start thinking of how to save for your retirement when you grow old, or pass on.” he advised.

In a country where mandatory savings are often presumed to be the preserve of the formally employed, Sajabi hastened to warn even those in the informal sector that even they suffer the effects of unplanned retirement: “Even running a business in Kikubo has a limit. Even farmers retire. How are you preparing for that uncertainty,” he mused.

According to NSSF, there are only 4 million people in formal salary employment countrywide. Of these, only 2 million are covered with a pension, while the remaining 11 million under the informal sector are uncatered for.

Ssejjabi said that following the introduction of the voluntary NSSF saving scheme, at least shs105b is being saved monthly, with current figures standing at shs1.4b.

“We may hit shs.4b by next year. So my advice to the cooperators here is that instead of investing in beer, (Tusker), instead of taking five, start by reducing to 4, 3 and eventually two and one so that you may save and take that Tusker during your old age,” he appealed.

On the state of Occupational Health and Safety in the country, Eng. Odongo Francis Gimoro, the Assistant Commissioner for Occupational Health in the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development said that government had put in place policies to ensure implementation of Occupational Health and Safety in the workplace, but hastened to add that observing these policies would require the cooperation of everybody, especially employers and employees:

“As Cooperatives, ensure that cooperators, whom you employ are safe from any injuries or risks while at the place of work,” said Odongo. “Employers are supposed to provide a working environment free of risk, and ensure safe and healthy premises,” he added.

He urged the cooperators to acquaint themselves with the various policies and laws that have been put in place to guarantee workers’ safety and security, such as the Workers Compensation Act, the Employment Act, the Public Health Act, and the Labor Unions Act.

The Symposium was organized by the Uhuru Institute for Social Development in partnership with the Uganda Cooperative Alliance, as part of the activities to mark this year’s International Day of Cooperatives.

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State Minister for Cooperatives, Frederick Gume, has called upon members of the cooperative movement to sustain the example of planting trees, noting that they(trees) not only preserve the environment but can also act as a source of revenue to many.

He made the remarks while presiding over the tree planting drive in Gomba district on Tuesday, ahead of the 96th United Nations International Day of Cooperatives celebrations that were held yesterday in Wakiso District.

The tree-planting exercise, one of the many initiatives that were carried out by cooperators in the week-long commemorative activities that climaxed yesterday, was aimed at encouraging investment in tree planting as a sustainable investment option.

In a bid to popularize the function and importance of Cooperatives across the country, Hon. Gume noted that his ministry was trying to advocate for the inclusion of cooperatives as a key subject of study in the schools’ curriculum that’s currently under review. In addition to the knowledge, Gume argued that such learning would challenge children to grow up with saving culture.

Already, Gume noted that the Cooperatives Movement was already numerically strong and with vast potential. He gave the example of the teachers’ cooperative –Walimu SACCO, which he said that with a membership of about 200,000 teachers, they were capable of starting their own bank. “If each teacher saved UGX 50,000 for 5 years, that would amount to UGX.60bn, which would be enough to start a Commercial Cooperative bank,” he said.

Walimu SACCO were the chief organizers of the Gomba event, and they have already planted over 5acres of trees in Gomba District to sustain rainfall in the district and guard against the now frequent dry spells in the area.

Among the other guests at the tree-planting exercise were the Registrar of Cooperatives Mr. Joseph William Kitandwe, and the Chief Executive Officer of The Uhuru Institute for Social Development Leonard Okello. Each of them planted five trees at the Gomba District headquarters and at the Farmer’s Cooperative Union Limited offices to mark the event

In conjunction with Uganda Cooperative Alliance (UCA), Uhuru Institute for Social Development and Cooperative Insurance Company (CIC) the Cooperative Movement has been able to supply tree seedlings for planting across the country in support of the 2019 Co-operative theme; “Cooperatives for Decent Work

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KAMPALA, Uganda: This Year’s Cooperative Week Celebrations have been launched with a call for immediate assenting to the Cooperative Amendment Bill 2016 by the President.

The Weeklong event was launched by the Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Minister, Hon, Amelia Kyambadde yesterday.

The theme of this year’s celebrations to be marked on July 6 2019 at Wakiso District headquarters is “Cooperatives for Decent Work”.

The International Coop Day event will be co-hosted by the teachers’ Walimu SACCO and the Cooperative Insurance Company Limited (CIC).

Other partners supporting the weeklong celebrations include; Uganda Cooperative Alliance, The Uhuru Institute for Social Development, and the International Cooperative Alliance.

Trade Minister Amelia Kyambadde revealed that they had invited President Yoweri Museveni to be Chief Guest at the main celebrations to be held at the Wakiso District Headquarters playground.

Addressing the press at the Uganda Media Center, Hon. Kyambadde said the weeklong event will start with National Prayers with the Muslim Community on Friday, 28 June 2019 at Old Kampala Mosque, and across all mosques country wide.

On Saturday, June 29th, prayers will be held by all Seventh Day Adventist churches countrywide, with main celebrations to be conducted at the Seventh Day Adventists Community at Makerere Church (opposite LDC).

On Sunday, 30th June 2019, National Prayers with Christians will be held at Rubaga and Namirembe Cathedrals and through the National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Churches across the country.

The countrywide cleaning of markets kicks off on Monday 1st July with the climax of the activity to be held at Nakawa Market led by Hon. Amelia Kyambadde.

The coop week event will also involve the National Tree Planting Campaign to kick-start on Tuesday, 2nd July in Gomba.

National Country wide blood donation starts on Wednesday, 3rd July 2019 spearheaded by the Uganda Blood Transfusion Service in Constitutional Square in Kampala, St. Balikudembe Market and Ham Towers in Kampala.

There will be a Medical Camp in Wakiso District Headquarters as well as a sports Gala, a Cooperative Symposium and Exhibitions at the Wakiso District Council Hall on Friday.

Call for revival of Cooperative bank

Leonard Okello, the Chief Executive Officer of The Uhuru Institute for Social Development says that the 2019 Cooperative Week comes amidst an increase in the number of cooperatives being registered, and argues that the efforts towards rebuilding the businesses of the older unions should remain a key focus of cooperatives and Government.

Addressing the press on the sidelines of the launch, Okello argued: “ The government should finalize the War Losses compensation to the Cooperatives Unions so that such resources can be used to capitalize their businesses.”

He noted that Cooperatives continue to suffer the closure of the Cooperative Bank, and called upon the government to put in place an alternative: “Government should consider availing a fund that can kick start the reestablishment of the cooperative bank by giving priority to the original shareholders of the bank,” he said.

When contacted, Kyambadde noted that the government was aware of the plight facing Cooperatives and that the revival of the Cooperative Bank was one of the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism, Trade, and Industry that debated the Cooperative Societies Amendment Bill (2016): “All the necessary paperwork is being worked on, and it may take us like two years to revive the Cooperative Bank,” said Amelia.

Mr. Okello called for increased regulatory oversight over Cooperatives, noting that it was important to stave off corrupt tendencies that could be fatal for cooperatives.

“This can be achieved through reestablishing a fully-fledged Cooperative Ministry, with skilled staff and a sizeable budget that can increase national outreach,” he advised.

The International Cooperatives Day is marked every first Saturday of July around the World, and it has been annually marked for the last 97 years.

The Uhuru Institute for Social Development works with Cooperatives, Government, MDAs, Development Partners and private businesses to advance and apply the cooperative business model in pursuit of inclusive socio-economic development.

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The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) reaffirmed their century-long friendship and commitment to elevating cooperative enterprise by signing a new Memorandum of Understanding on Monday.

The document states that its main purpose is to “foster collaboration… in areas of promotion and strengthening of the cooperative enterprise model.” In that respect, both commit to promote cooperatives as a business model to “advance inclusive and sustainable development.”

ICA’s President Ariel Guarco and ILO’s Director-General (DG) Guy Ryder signed the MOU on Monday as a sign of renewed friendship. As both recalled, the first director-general of the ILO, Albert Thomas, came from the cooperative movement and was part of ICA’s Board of Directors in the 1920s.

The relationship between the two organizations started from the founding of the ILO and has continued uninterrupted to this day.

ILO-ICA joint conference
The memorandum was signed during the ILO-ICA Joint Conference on “Cooperatives and the Future of Work,” immediately following the 108th International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva this month. The conference is a historic moment for the development of cooperatives, as is the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work 2019. Adopted on June 21, the document recognizes the role of cooperatives and the social and solidarity economy in the future of work, specifically decent and sustainable work.

The recognition came after the ICA released a statement urging the international body to acknowledge the central role cooperatives have globally in safeguarding the “fairer, more inclusive, and more secure future of work” the ILO is seeking.

For Ariel Guarco, the new declaration is significant. “It will allow us to carry out more advocacy work and public policy proposals favorable to cooperatives and will further strengthen the partnership that we are renewing today with the signing of a new agreement of collaboration between our two organizations.”

Guy Ryder said the ILO is “committed to working with our constituents and the cooperative movement in supporting the creation of an ecosystem that is conducive to the growth of cooperative enterprises. In these times of unprecedented change and of exceptional challenges in the world of work we look forward to continued partnership with the cooperative movement in this quest for sustainable development and a fairer, inclusive and more secure future of work with decent work for all.”

During the ICA-ILO joint conference, representatives from the permanent representation of Iran, Korea and Uruguay took the floor underlining the role of cooperative for building a sustainable future of work sharing concrete cooperative examples. The International Trade Union Confederation, Deputy General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, Victor Baez, noted how “the trade unions and cooperatives need to work together not only to save jobs but also to create jobs.” The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Representative Wenyan Yang said cooperatives have a “big role to play to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

Book launch
The book ‘Cooperatives and the World of Work’ (Routledge, 2019) was launched as part of the ICA-ILO Joint Conference. The publication is co-edited by authors from the ICA, the ILO and the International Organization of Industrial and Services Cooperatives (CICOPA). With the uncertainty of the world of work and the rise of technology, the book furthers the debate on the future of work, sustainable development, and the social and solidarity economy where cooperatives are major players.

The publication was edited by Bruno Roelants (ICA), Hyungsik Eum (CICOPA), Simel Esim (ILO), Sonja Novkovic (ICA Research Committee) and Waltteri Katajamäki (ILO).

Graciela Fernandez, president of Cooperatives of the Americas, closed the session by highlighting the importance of the ILO’s centenary declaration and the memorandum of understanding as a significant recognition of the cooperative movement. (source/ Noba Clusa)

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