Ramathan Ggoobi will not think Thursday evening was April Fools’ Day!
Ramathan Ggoobi is a seasoned economist and social commentator who, teaches economics at Makerere University Business School.
President Yoweri Museveni last night shook up his permanent secretaries and Ggoobi unlike the rumours linking him to the ministerial appointment at ministry of finance and economics, is the new man to replace the large shoes of Keith Muhakanizi.
The academic woke up Friday morning to hail President Museveni for his appointment: “To H.E the President, thank you for the trust in appointing me to serve in this noble office. To the people of Uganda, thank you for the support and love. To the world, this simple boy from Butambala believes in economics that works and hates accountability without results.”
Why Ggoobi?
Keith Muhakanizi has been at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Affairs for decades, and for the President to trust Ggoobi, speaks volumes about his works. A look at Ggoobi’s social media interaction sums up a great deal of why the powers-be zeroed down on the academic from MUBS.
Admires Ruhakana’s Traits
President Museveni has highlighted corruption as the major stumbling block to his operations especially in the service delivery stage. Ggoobi singled out the personality of former Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda as his idol and would want to be like when he ‘grows up’. “When I grow up I want to be @RuhakanaR The true definition of: 1. Loyalty; 2. Servant; 3. Humility; 4. Honesty; 5. Empathy; 6. Decency; 7. Politeness; 8. Generosity; 9. Resilience; and 10. Ability to work with others.
The high GDP per capita affords families to prepare meals according to a menu. Actually the lack of freedom of choice in low GDP societies like ours is not limited to meals, clothes etc (material stuff). No. It stretches to marriage partners. For details wait for my book
The problem is GDP. Societies with low GDP have no regard to freedom of choice. Choice of what? Everything. Across the Atlantic (in Europe & North America), mothers allow their kids, and of course their husbands, to make choice of the meals they want to have. Why?
Generations of my students know the analogy I use to make them understand why economists are obsessed with GDP. I often start by asking them to mention one dictator they know of. Expectedly they rush to shout out names of men occupying state houses & military garrisons.
Views on Army
President Museveni is a huge admirer of his own brain child, the army. If you want to touch his tail, then say something about the army. Ggoobi believes the current crop of generals appointed recently like Wilson Mbadi (army commander), Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu (Deputy Army Commander), Muhoozi Kainerugaba (Commander Land Forces), and Major Gen. Leopold Chanda as Joint Chief of the UPDF among others are the best lot to take the army forward.
Ggoobi noted: “Congratulations to all the Generals that were elevated and/or deployed to head different units of our armed forces, the mighty UPDF. Since 2006 I’ve interacted with nearly every single officer of UPDF. I can confirm the future of this country is in safe hands.”
He added: “I’ve taught or presented papers to, and thus intellectually engaged nearly all the senior officers. So many well trained, groomed and mentored young officers in charge of the forces.”
Lockdown
There has been pressure from a section of the public begging the President to bring an end the on-going 42-day lockdown. However, Ggoobi agrees with the President that: “Lockdowns are very effective at suppressing the spread of coronavirus. They can only be lifted when a substantial number of people have been vaccinated to create herd immunity in the society.”
Though he goes ahead to beg: “Govt should provide emergency loans for businesses. Economist and policy analyst Ramathan Ggoobi says govt shouldn’t make people consider a tough choice between #Covid19 and hunger; what they should die from.”
Adding that: “This (inevitable?) lockdown is massive. It’s going to be felt financially (by individuals, households & businesses) and economically. Why? Because even business executives I’ve spoken to demanded for it. Many were like “si ka ssente” (“Money can’t buy life” in Bob Marley’s words).”
Ramathan Ggoobi opined: “The rest of the world has re-opened. Let’s put emphasis on one major intervention: vaccination of as many people as possible and reopen the economies.”
Population on economy
But, on population he will have to go slow with his push for fewer children with his boss. The President has always in his speeches advocated for bigger families because he wants more numbers to provide market for the goods produced in the country.
Ggoobi explained: “Population growth rate is a key determinant of economic prosperity. A society that produces more children than other products cannot achieve middle income in a single generation. I wrote this and presented it to our leaders five years ago.”
The academic revealed: “Uganda is 12 years away middle income status – IMF. IMF Country Rep. Izabela Karpowicz says all projections and variations of high population growth and low economic growth rate indicate Uganda might achieve lower middle income status in 2033 or 2034.”
Ramathan Ggoobi added: “Lockdowns reinforce the household theory of fertility & family size. The current generation will appreciate more (through lived or observed experiences) why economists think it’s economically optimal & rational to have fewer children – lowers the cost of rearing them.”
He argued: “We must do two things to leapfrog these discouraging statistics and attain middle income status. 1. We must double the rate at which the economy is currently growing. GDP must grow at a rate not less than 10%. 2. We must find ways to reduce the fertility rate of Ugandans.”
The academic emphasized: “Initially the population has to be directly controlled since per capita income growth initially depends on the population growth rate. In the long run, with an increase in incomes and living standards, death rate starts to fall and consequently birth rates also decline.”
Ramathan Ggoobi went on: The food ratio constitutes the largest percentage of expenditure. On average, every household spends approximately 46% of its income on food alone.
Nabanja’s ka money
Ramathan Ggoobi weighed in on the money government is sending to the vulnerable people and thinks: “They should even lower the threshold. Medium monthly wage in urban Uganda is UShs220,000, almost twice the wage in rural areas (UShs. 120,000). The median citizen in urban and peri-urban areas should be the one targeted for relief money.”
The analyst argued: “I think that the problem starts from whom to target. The Minister has emphasized those below the poverty line and yet the government told us they will target the vulnerable. Poverty and vulnerability are two different things.”
Ramathan Ggoobi pleaded with middle class: “Dear Ugandans elites (officials, village elites and your relatives) please leave this small money to go to the intended beneficiaries. This is not about maximizing welfare gains from the program; it’s about feeding people at risk of choosing btn hunger & Covid. What to die from.”
Corruption
President Museveni has reasoned that corruption is common among people who come from backgrounds of have-nots. And to fix the anomaly, he is looking for people he has a good idea about. What does the new man he has appointed to serve at one of the most sensitive sectors of the economy say? “We tend to think corruption is when a senior politician – Minister, or a top bureaucrat – a PS, Director or Commissioner or an ED of an agency steals public funds. The most rampant and perhaps more deadly corruption, happens at lower levels. Citizens are, key to fighting it.”
Crypto currency
There is obsession about crypto currency especially in the western world. Uganda has had a bad experience with fraud associated with the individuals behind it. Ramathan Ggoobi agreed with Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan who asked his people at the Bank of Tanzania to research about. The President called on the Central Bank to embrace technological advancements such as cryptocurrency which could spur quicker service delivery.
Economy:
Ramathan Ggoobi in his deliberations agrees with people at the ministry of finance, planning and economic affairs that the economy is growing but argues that it does not address the biting problem of jobs in the country. “We have been growing the economy without creating jobs. We have been looking at sectors which would grow without looking at sectors which would create jobs.”
The economic analyst cited: “South Africa is a classic case of what happens to a society that fails to adopt the #EconomicsThatWorks and relies on GDP and trickledown economics. Communities that have been left out always wait for a spark. Zuma’s incarceration, like many did in the past, has given them one.”
Ggoobi urged government: “We need to help businesses to continue or recover by reducing compliance burdens especially for SMEs.”
During a Private-Public Policy Dialogue in Kampala, the academic argued that there is a time bomb if the anticipated third wave of Covid hits the country.
Ggoobi said: “If Uganda goes through a third lockdown at a time when other countries are reopening, our economy will be devastated. The government should focus on mass vaccination.”
He revealed: “Private schools that are destined for takeover by banks due to failure to repay their debts begs for an urgent conversation and reexamination of options earlier taken to provide relief to businesses. Doing nothing is not an option.
Cabinet meeting today to agree on how to frugally utilize the available resources within the budget for next FY 2021/2022 to meet #COVID19 emergency expenditures for the 1st three months of FY 2021/2022 (July to September 2021). Ggoobi sided with cabinet
Healthcare
“As you can see this issue is ultimately a matter of social choice. The people in countries with good universal healthcare systems decided to make healthcare a public good. They took a decision to build a system that ensures that all citizens, rich & poor, get decent healthcare.”
“On the other hand, nearly all countries with poor and/or expensive healthcare systems are opposed to the idea that healthcare is a public good — USA.”
Patriotism
President Museveni has always emphasized the need for a patriotic population that puts the country ahead of everything. While responding to news feed by the Daily Monitor on Uganda Airlines which run out of fuel in Tanzania, the MUBS’ academic castigated: “We have problems in this country. An airline struggling to find its feet, and media that is more sensational than developmental! The headline and content are as far-fetched as the decision to restart an airline without dealing with the challenges that failed it in the past.”
Sports fanatic
Ramathan Ggoobi is an ardent sports fan from his social media feeds. He is a supporter of Express FC, Manchester United and England. The academic also loves to watch Tennis.
“Mukwanogwabangi. Thank you @KiryowaKk for your revolutionary leadership! I’m coming back to Wankulukuku. I left the day they showered me stones back in early 2000s.”
“We mean business this season. Back to where we belong – at the top. on Sancho deal concluded. Get him (Varane) as well.”
“Where had these attributes gone when Lukaku was at Man Utd? He couldn’t even control the ball. Now it takes 4 players to take the ball from him and after fouling him! Woozy face”
“HistoryDown pointing backhand index No wonder it felt sweeter than the title they’ve never won. England beating Germany in round of 16”
Family
Ggoobi is blessed with two children. He shared a picture of himself with his children and then captioned: “From us to all Ugandans, #HappyHeroesDay.” Indeed he is living to his word of lesser population given the juicy opportunities at his disposal.
Award winning journalist and writer who has worked as a stringer for a couple of acclaimed South Africa based German journalists, covered 3 Ugandan elections, 2008 Kenya election crisis, with interests in business and sports reporting.
