Youth fault govt for climate crisis, taxes
Sitting of the National Youth Parliament on August 5, 2022. PHOTO | PARLIAMENT PRESS
Leaders of the National Youth Parliament have asked the government to exempt youth enterprises from tax to facilitate job creation and the development of young people.
The resolution was contained in a motion adopted Friday, urging the government to implement sustainable solutions to issues affecting the youth such as climate crisis and unemployment.
Mr Emma Bwayo, the mover of the motion, said the government has continually given tax holidays to already established businesses as small youth enterprises choke on taxes.
The youth leaders also want representatives of the National Youth Council included on the parish committees overseeing the Parish Development Model (PDM) to ensure the youth benefit from the 30 per cent of the funds accorded them in the allocation. Each parish is expected to receive Shs100m.
In her remarks, House Speaker Anita Among said the government is committed to involving the youth in policy making.
She added that the resolutions would be forwarded to the Parliament for reconsideration before being dispatched to respective ministries for action.
During the same plenary sitting in the precincts of the national Parliament, the youth adopted a motion urging the government to prioritise measures of adaptation to and mitigation of the effects of climate change.
Ms Denise Ayebare, the mover of the motion, said the government needs to increase the funds allocated to the sector to address crises like the recent floods and landslides in the Elgon Sub-region.
Ms Ayebare said the government should double up on sensitisation of communities, and intensify restoration of destroyed ecosystems like forests and wetlands.
Ms Julia Muhumuza, a representative from Lwengo District, wants the government to come up with sustainable interventions like early warning information as opposed to reactive responses.
Mr Enock Kamanzi, another reprsentative, added: “This is not the first time we are talking about a climate crisis in this country. The government should provide long term solutions to these problems.”
The government was also faulted for poor implementation of the environment laws, which have facilitated destruction of the ecosystem.
“We have all these laws regarding the preservation of the environment, but the problem is implementation. What are we doing about those destroying our environment?” Mr Yusuf Welunga, representative from the eastern region said.
The leaders also adopted a motion urging the government to prioritise measures for economic transformation of young people through the PDM, vocational skilling, and fair tax policies.
