ICT minister Frank Tumwebaze had a rough afternoon in Parliament when MPs took their anger on him over the ban on airtime scratch cards and demanded he stays away from fronting security as the main cause in a heated debated on the floor during the plenary session conducted by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga.
It remains to be seen whether or not the legislators will overturn the cabinet directive which stopped the use of scratch airtime cards which takes effect on 1st August.
Legislator after another including the speaker Kadaga took to the floor to slam the ban of the famous scratch airtime cards, claiming their constituents are beyond words with what they term as harsh decision by cabinet.
Tumwebaze called to Parliament to defend cabinet position on the scratch airtime card took to the floor by stating: “Electronic Recharge systems makes anyone with money on their phone a potential vendor. This will reduce unemployment.”
The minister said: “Part of the objective of the electronic recharge system is that when you load airtime and there are suspicions, we can be able to trace you.”
MPs then turned on the minister after his statement claiming the ban was detrimental to the rural airtime users.
Jesica Ababiku, Adjumani District Woman MP demanded: “The minister has to bring a statement to address challenges of accessibility to Electronic Recharge systems especially for the rural population.”
Speaker Kadaga said: “I have been confronted by people in various constituencies on the discomfort with electronic system of loading airtime. Most people complain about access by the elderly who are not acquainted with technology.”
Akamba Paul, Busiki County urged: “I want to propose that we suspend the ban of scratch card until a time the Minister Frank Tumwebazek can be able to table evidence that scratch cards are harmful.”
Hon Pentagon Kamusiime, MP Butemba County tipped: “The public is not happy with Parliament and want us to take time and discuss the ban on airtime scratch cards in a way that will ensure easy access to airtime.”
Akena James, MP Lira Municipality: “Frank Tumwebazek you are missing the point. It’s is not helpful because the people who used to vend scratch cards were retail shop operators not Mobile Money operators.”
Angura Fredrick, MP Tororo South noted: “Let the investors work on value addition and production and we the locals do the retailing, Investors cant do everything.”
Joshua Anywarach, MP, Padyere said: “I took time to do research from telecom companies, they are doing a comparison of converting serialized scratch cards into easy load. They say this will be costly and will take a long time.”
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.
