Oil bonuses an early sign Uganda suffering resource curse, say critics
KAMPALA — Hefty bonuses paid to Ugandan officials who oversaw tax dispute settlements with international oil firms are a sign hydrocarbon discoveries are increasing corruption in the country, government opponents and transparency campaigners said. Commercial production is due to start in 2020 and some campaign groups are warning Uganda is already suffering the resource "curse", in which a rush of petro-dollars suffocates the rest of the economy, encourages graft and stirs unrest. Uganda first discovered oil more than a decade ago but production has been stalled by lengthy rows between government and oil companies over tax payments and infrastructure. Local media reported some 40 senior officials in the impoverished country’s tax agency, energy, finance and justice ministries received bonuses, some exceeding $100,000. "This is nothing but the beginning of the resource curse," said Dickens Kamugisha, CEO at African Institute for Energy Governance. The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), w...
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