By THE OBSERVER UG
Over the past three decades, the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), based at Makerere University, has been a leading force in generating policy-oriented research and analysis to inform decision-making on socio-economic development in Uganda, as highlighted by Yudaya Nangonzi.
At its 30th-anniversary dinner held at Serena Hotel gardens last week, EPRC reflected on its journey of collaboration and societal impact, while also recognizing and honoring its active and fallen partners.
Established in 1993 as an autonomous not-for-profit organization, EPRC aimed to build national capacity to support the policymaking work of the government.
Speaking as the chief guest at the anniversary gala, Susan Ngongi Namondo, the UN Resident Coordinator in Uganda, commended EPRC for its significant contribution to research and policymaking. She applauded the center for maintaining its independence despite strong government support.
“EPRC has produced high-quality publications that have benefited all of us. This is commendable because most of the evidence that we depend on to support the different projects of Uganda’s development agenda resonates from their findings,” Namondo said.
She emphasized that EPRC’s future success will largely depend on its ability to adapt to the evolving environment within which it operates today. Government support accounts for at least 70% of EPRC’s budget, with other resources sourced from donors.
Reflecting on the journey thus far, Ibrahim Kasirye, EPRC’s Director of Research, expressed profound gratitude to the researchers and partners who have contributed to the organization’s success.
“Over the last three decades, our timely evidence-based and user-responsive research has contributed to informing various government policy, regulatory, and programming processes and actions geared towards delivering its commitments to sustained economic growth and transformation,” Kasirye said.
“We have learned from our experiences to design better-focused strategic plans, seize research and financing opportunities, and strengthen governance and financial systems as well as leadership and in-house research capacities.”
In its first decade, 1993-2002, EPRC researched Poverty Reduction and Structural Adjustments. It focused on efficient implementation of structural adjustment programs, considering prudent macroeconomic policies, private sector investment, and modernization of agriculture.
This research was followed by another from 2003 to 2012 on how the country could attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), focusing on the effects of structural adjustment programs on poverty, social protection, employment, and growth; service delivery in education and agriculture; public expenditure tracking, among others.
In the third decade, 2013 – to date, the center supported the government in its goal of stimulating inclusive renewed growth, particularly for the youth and women. Kasirye explained that this involved addressing constraints on domestic revenue mobilization and public finance management amidst declining donor support; renewed focus on social protection; service delivery mechanisms; and labor markets with a focus on addressing poverty inequality and food insecurity.
“Unlike the previous decades, we emphasized evidence to boost private sector development and competitiveness through research on agro-industrialization; micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs); productive employment; access to financial services; informality, and domestic and external trade,” he said.
RESEARCH IMPACTS
In collaboration with the Finance Ministry, the center developed an Agro-industrialization agenda for Uganda and a Public Investment Management Strategy for the Agro-industry.
“We have conducted extensive analytical work on poverty trends, pro-poor growth, poverty-inequality-growth nexus, and chronic poverty, which have greatly informed the design, implementation, and review of Poverty Reduction Strategies, and the regular monitoring of poverty trends in Uganda,” Kasirye noted.
The EPRC findings have also supported the peace restoration process in Northern Uganda and conducted research that enabled the rescinding of a government decision in the 2014/15 FY to impose value-added tax on agricultural inputs, among others.
They also spearheaded the development of the National Fertilizer Policy, Strategy, and Regulations; and offered technical support and oversight towards the development of the Agricultural Finance Policy and Strategy, National Industrial Development Policy, and the National Tea Development Policy. The center also extensively contributed to the review of the Sugarcane Policy 2010 and the Sugar Act 2020.
In his remarks, Prof William Bazeyo, who represented the chairman of the Board of Directors at EPRC, commended the board’s executive director, Dr. Sarah Ssewanyana, in absentia for a job well done. Ssewanyana lost a child last week, and the burial coincided with the 30th celebration dinner.
“EPRC has had executive directors, but at the most difficult time of COVID-19, Dr. Sarah stood strong. At one time, there was no money from the Finance ministry, but she managed to raise resources from partners to run the institution.”
CORDIAL RELATIONS WITH MAKERERE
Meanwhile, Makerere University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration, Prof Henry Alinaitwe, highlighted that EPRC has maintained a cordial relationship with the university for the past 30 years.
Annually, EPRC collaborates with the College of Business and Management Sciences to award the best performing MA Economics students with a cash prize and a two-year professional career development opportunity. This opportunity allows the awardee to undergo a six-month rotational training in each of the four EPRC research departments.
“Some of the beneficiaries have gone on to secure employment in international and credible organizations. EPRC also provides a three-month renewable internship opportunity to both undergraduate and postgraduate students of Makerere University,” Alinaitwe said.
In addition to granting students free access to all EPRC staff, research findings, and publications to complement their research, Alinaitwe proposed that the two institutions can jointly produce policy analyses and peer-reviewed publications. Furthermore, they can mobilize funding for collaborative research, leading to enhanced credibility and better policymaking.
FUTURE PLANS
To enhance the influence of its research and policy work, the EPRC is aiming for aggressive resource mobilization to ensure the continuity of its mandate, alongside acquiring a larger office premise.
Additionally, there are plans to shift focus from primarily economic dimensions of policy to a more comprehensive approach encompassing socioeconomic and political economy aspects.
“We shall reposition the trade and regional integration department to continue undertaking research at the local level, but with a focus on informing and influencing continental and global trade policies and development programs,” reads the plans.
The EPRC intends to revamp its stakeholder engagements to concentrate on building citizens’ trust in government policies and programs. To broaden and improve capacity building, EPRC proposes the development of a sustainable post-doctoral training program targeting recent PhD graduates, preparing them for both the job market and the policy realm.
This initiative will be accompanied by the reintroduction of its international fellowship program to attract scholars from abroad to collaborate with EPRC, fostering the exchange of ideas, skills, methodologies, and technologies in research.
As emphasized by the UN’s Namondo, the center is also committed to maintaining its independence as a non-profit policy think tank in Uganda.
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