School of Economics (SE)http://hdl.handle.net/10570/432024-03-28T20:47:31Z2024-03-28T20:47:31ZAccess of financial credit services to small scale commercial farmers in Uganda. A case of Bubaare Sub County, Mbarara DistrictAtukunda, Rachealhttp://hdl.handle.net/10570/106372022-06-24T08:52:44Z2020-02-01T00:00:00ZAccess of financial credit services to small scale commercial farmers in Uganda. A case of Bubaare Sub County, Mbarara District
Atukunda, Racheal
This study focused on establishing access of Financial Credit Services to Small Scale Commercial Farmers in Bubaare Sub County, Mbarara District, Uganda. The study was guided by the following objectives namely; assessing the status of credit services available to farmers, examining the reasons for farmers’ participation and non-participation in credit programs, and identifying the factors leading to credit rationing of farmers by financial institutions in Bubaare Sub County, Mbarara District, Western Uganda. The study was guided by a cross sectional research design and the respondents included; heads of small-scale farming households, officials from credit institutions and officials in charge of agricultural finance from Mbarara District Local Government.
Among the observations made on the status of credit services available to farmers; the Ministry of Agriculture plays a dominant role in ensuring that farmers get credit services from financial institutions, there is a big number of lending schemes and institutions which provide credit services to farmers at subsidized interest rates, agricultural lending is associated with a number risks making it unfavourable for financial institutions, and Financial credit services in rural areas are dominated by small institutions mainly SACCOs and self-help groups which offer only small amount of money to farmers. In relation to farmers’ participation in credit programs, the study found out that; Farmers participate because they want to access loans from the credit programs to invest in agriculture, expand their existing income generating activities, save money as well as learning and sharing information on farming practices. However, their nonparticipation is due to; fear of loan defaulting, unsuitable loan conditions and busy schedules, leaving them with no time to participate. In relation to factors leading to credit rationing of farmers by financial institutions by financial institutions, the study identified annual income of the family in the previous year, Value of household assets including plants and animals as well as physical assets, Ration of formal outstanding debt over income, and Distance from the location of the financial institution as the factors leading to factors credit rationing of farmers.
The study made the following recommendations; there is a need to implement adult financial literacy programs, strengthening farmer cooperative organizations, which could provide a collective capital and social collateral for small farmers, Formal MFIs should be encouraged to substitute physical collateral for social collateral through group liability strategies, encouraging farming households to take on alternative livelihood activities, as well as finding market smart strategists to deal with challenges facing small farmers in accessing credit.
2020-02-01T00:00:00ZThe achievement of Foundation Hans Lindner for St. Joseph’s Aid Society in promoting education: A case study of Kiboga District-UgandaLubega, Joseph Balikuddembehttp://hdl.handle.net/10570/40132015-01-07T09:06:23Z2014-10-06T00:00:00ZThe achievement of Foundation Hans Lindner for St. Joseph’s Aid Society in promoting education: A case study of Kiboga District-Uganda
Lubega, Joseph Balikuddembe
The study set out to establish Foundation Hans Lindner for St. Joseph’s Aid Society’s achievement in Education in Kiboga District-Uganda. It was a case study, based on the qualitative and quantitative research approach.
The sample for the study entailed 130 participants, that is, 9 Directors, 80 Direct Beneficiaries (students), 9 District Officials, 11 Community Leaders, 8 Elders/Opinion Leaders, 12 Religious Leaders, plus the Education Secretary, Kiyinda-Mityana Diocese. These generated data for the study through five instruments, these included: interview schedules for Directors and the Educational Secretary, Kiyinda – Mityana Diocese; questionnaires for Direct beneficiaries, District officials, Community leaders, Religious leaders; focused group discussion for direct beneficiaries.
The collected data was qualitatively and quantitatively presented, and analysed in frequencies and percentages, then meaningfully placed in categories for interpretation.
The study was guided by two research questions:
• What is the achievement of Foundation Hans Lindner for St. Joseph’s Aid Society in the promotion of Education in Uganda?
• What challenges does Foundation Hans Lindner for St. Joseph Aid Society face in promoting Education in Uganda?
The data collected revealed that the foundation has achieved in its role of promoting education in Uganda, especially in Kiboga district. This is because, many of those it has sponsored have now graduated in different disciplines, and this has led to reduction in the literacy rate in the country and an increase in the number of qualified personnel, thus , an increase in the human resource, a good number of its beneficiaries are now employed, that is both by government and private institutions, orphans and children from poor families who would not have been able to taste a dose of education have been supported, government has been assisted in its role of promoting Universal Education.
However, the Foundation faces some challenges in trying to promote education in Uganda. These are; shortage of funds, which are greatly needed to facilitate the Foundation’s recurrent expenditure, low motivation of teachers, government obligations (taxes), poor management and administration of Foundation activities.
It was concluded that achievements summarise all the benefits the Foundation has met. However, that challenges presented have always hindered the Foundation’s proper delivery of its educational services to the underprivileged in Kiboga District and the country at large. Hence, more productive partnerships between government and NGOs are clearly called for, such that, promoting education of the underprivileged greatly contributes to the future well being of the nationals in the economy, as well as it development.
It was therefore recommended that, government should exempt NGO’S from taxes especially during importation of educational materials, set up an NGO Advisory Board on educational policies that would give NGOs a much greater role in education decision making, Have a more consultative approach at the community level to tackle the implementation problems, strictly monitor and scrutinize the performance of various NGOs involved in promoting education. Given all that efforts, expectations are high that, the Foundation will be able to promote education in the country with ease.
2014-10-06T00:00:00ZAdequacy of tax revenue and the national budget deficit in Uganda before and after the tax reforms (1980-2008)Muwanga, Lawrencehttp://hdl.handle.net/10570/25392015-01-07T08:05:28Z2011-03-01T00:00:00ZAdequacy of tax revenue and the national budget deficit in Uganda before and after the tax reforms (1980-2008)
Muwanga, Lawrence
Like any other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda’s tax performance is still
poor. Inadequacy of tax revenue is evidenced by the existence of national budget
deficit. Every year the realised total tax revenue falls short of the budgeted total tax
revenue. The budget deficit annually increases by a bigger percentage than the
increment in realised total tax revenue. In spite of the tax reforms launched by the
government, budget deficit persistently increases. The study aimed at finding out the
cause of the inadequate tax revenue in Uganda that is not enough to service
government expenditure so as to reduce the budget deficit before and after the tax
reforms.
To achieve the main objective, buoyancy, elasticity and tax effort indexes of the tax
system were estimated. Ordinary least square (OLS) method was used on time series
data to estimate those economic magnitudes. Data were got from Ministry of Finance,
Planning and Economic Development; Bank of Uganda; Uganda Bureau of Statistics
(UBOS) and Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). Economic models for estimating
buoyancy and elasticity were established. Elasticity with respect to the national
income of individual taxes was decomposed into tax-to-base elasticity and base-tonational
income elasticity. Models to estimate that decomposed elasticity were
specified as shown in chapter 5, equations 5 & 6.
It was found out that total tax revenue has negative relationship with the budget
deficit (Table 6.8). After the tax reforms, buoyancy increased with the exception of
that of import duties (Table 6.13). Total tax revenue was inelastic before the tax
reforms (1980-1990) and for the whole period (1980-2008).But after the tax reforms
(1991-2008), total tax revenue was elastic with respect to GDP (Tables 6.14). In the
same period income tax and VAT were elastic with respect to GDP (Tables 6.14) but
the base of VAT was still inadequate as evidenced by tax-to-base elasticity and baseto-
GDP inelasticity (Tables 6.15 & 6.16). Import tax was inelastic to its base whereas
the base was elastic with respect to national income (Tables 6.15&6.16). Tax effort
was generally less than one before the tax reforms and the combined periods (Tables
6.12 & 6.23). Tax reforms brought about positive changes in tax effort (Table 6.17).
The study concluded that the country has inelastic tax system and that total revenue
cannot increase automatically as national income grows. The tax effort was less than
one for the whole period (1980-2008) and therefore a country has a high tax potential
and can increase tax revenue generation by redesigning the tax system. The base for
VAT needs broadening and measures to tap import tax should be increased by
fighting corruption, tax evasion and smuggling. Positive changes that were brought
about by tax reforms should be cherished and more should be done to increase tax
revenue generation such as increasing the base of VAT and improving the collection
methods of import duties. Tax reforms brought about positive changes in buoyancy
with the exception of import duties but still more discretionary changes are needed to
achieve tax effort which is one or more. Finally the study concluded that tax revenue
generation is insufficient and thus national budget deficit persistently increases every
year. It was recommended that the government should make ventures to increase tax
revenue such that the realised tax revenue is nearer to the budgeted tax revenue but at
the same time it should check on its spending culture.
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Masters of Arts Degree in Economics of Makerere University.
2011-03-01T00:00:00ZAdoption and impact of conservation agriculture among farming households in Kyankwanzi district, UgandaLumu, Emmahttp://hdl.handle.net/10570/88832021-09-07T15:11:53Z2021-04-01T00:00:00ZAdoption and impact of conservation agriculture among farming households in Kyankwanzi district, Uganda
Lumu, Emma
The agricultural sector in Uganda is challenged by a number of constraints including low technological adoption, limited financing, reduction in agricultural land, poor access to extension services and poor farming practices among others (World Bank report 2018). As part of the campaign to take care of some of the challenges, conservation agriculture package which involves minimal soil disturbance, retention of crop residues as mulch on the soil surface, and the use of crop rotations was proposed as a sustainable solution to agricultural problems in smallholder farming systems and has been promoted in parts of Uganda. In Kyankwanzi District, it was implemented by Rural Enterprise Development Services (REDS) from 2011 to 2015. This study determined the extent to which conservation agriculture has addressed the challenges faced by farmers in Kyankwanzi District. Specifically, the study determined: i) the level of adoption of conservation agriculture among smallholder farmers, ii) the factors that influence the adoption of conservation agriculture, and iii) the impact of conservation farming adoption on the income of farmers in Kyankwanzi District.
The study was conducted in three sub-counties namely; Nkandwa, Wattuba and Kiryanongo in Kyankwanzi District. A sample of Ninety-one (91) households was selected from a population of 120 smallholder farmers using the purposive sampling method with the Yamane’s formulae (1967). Binomial probit regression model was used to investigate the driving factors of conservation agriculture whereas the propensity score matching (nearest neighbor) was used to assess the impact of conservation agriculture on income using SPSS and STATA packages.
The level of adoption of conservation agriculture based on application of at least one conservation principle was 64.8% while non-adopters were 35.2%. Among the adopters, 58% applied only one of the CA principles, 5% applied only two principles and 37% applied all the three principles of conservation agriculture. However, only 17% of the total land holding for the households investigated was under CA. The results from the probit regression analysis indicated that: i). adoption of conservation agriculture among the households surveyed depended on access to agro-inputs (P ˂ 0.01), access to credit (P ˂ 0.05) and access to agricultural extension services (P ˂ 0.05); ii). information access through training significantly influenced adoption of CA (χ2 = 9.755, P = 0.002, α = 0.05); and iii). That the major source of extension service on CA significantly influenced adoption of CA (χ2 = 14.223, P=0.003, α= 0.05) ,with non-governmental organization (NGO) leading as a source of extension services (71.2%) followed by government (13%), farmer group (3%) and by other sources (1%). It is evident that exposure to information played a key role in enabling the uptake of CA.
The propensity score matching (PSM) analysis, revealed that CA adopters on average earned eighty thousand shillings (Ug shs 80,000/=) more (P<0.001) and spent 3 units less of agro-inputs (P<0.05) than non-adopters per acre per season. These results suggest that conservation agriculture practices are reducing the cost of inputs per acre and agro-input cost per kilogram of produce harvested among smallholder farmers in Kyankwanzi District. This is particularly important for smallholder rural farmers where inputs such as improved seeds, pesticides and fertilizers are both costly and unreadily available. Fostering adoption of conservation agriculture has a good chance of improving the income status of households (poverty reduction) in the farming community.
The study recommended increasing farmers' awareness of CA and its benefits via various means such as training/workshops, extended extension services and other possible channels to increase its adoption; and increasing farmer’s access to credit and agro-inputs. It is desirable that farmers adopt all the principles in order to attain the best returns from conservation agriculture. Farmer training as a means to attaining increased CA adoption should be strengthened and the contribution of NGOs in this regard is indispensable and should be encouraged. Conservation agriculture potentially increases the income and welfare of smallholder farmers, especially via reduction in unit cost of production and efforts to increase its adoption should be supported by adequate policy measures and it should be extended to other parts of the country where it has not yet been introduced in a bid to reduce poverty in the sector.
A research report submitted to the College of Business and Management Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a degree of Master of Economic Policy and Planning of Makerere University
2021-04-01T00:00:00Z