By Nassiawa Hanifah Samula
Members of parliament have trashed the majority report on the sugar bill on grounds that it does not favor the ordinary out growers rather make big millers exploit the out growers.
This bill was passed November last year and taken to the president to assent to but the president decided to return it to parliament and advised parliament to make changes and in this case included zoning which had been rejected.
According to the majority report which was read by the committee chair Robert Kasule zoning is good for the industry and that government is willing to compasate all small millers in favour of the big millers.
However with the minority report which was read by woman member of parliament for masaka district,zoning contradicts free market economy and it’s there to protect the big millers at the expense of out growers.
Members of parliament especially those from the busoga region have expressed their support for the minority report saying the previous report should be maintained because they cannot allow laws that are only there to make their people poor.
Member of parliament kagoma county Walyomu Moses says “The minority report has punched holes in the majority report,the out growers don’t need the zoning policy”.
The MPs says government doesn’t have money to compensate the small millers but rather abuse tax payers money in favour of big millers.
Member of parliament Robert Ntende says “we shall not allow any one to disorganise out growers”.
The MPs further say they will not allow caucus to convince them to support the majority report no matter what because it is their people who brought them to parliament.
The debate on both reports has been pushed to Tuesday next week.
