Uganda: Scientists should be well paid
Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni explains why african nations should
invest heavily in science and why scientists should be well paid.
In the 1960s, Uganda's per capita income was equivalent to the per capita
incomes of Singapore and South Korea. These two countries have since been very
successful - Singapore's gross national per capita income now exceeds US$21,000
and South Korea is now ranked the 11th richest country in the world.
Uganda, however, like many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, is beset by
problems, both internal and external, that have prevented it from progressing
from a Third World country to a 'First World' country.
One of the most important factors that must be addressed to boost Uganda's
development - and the development of other sub-Saharan African countries - is to
build up our human resources.
Only in this way can we gradually shift production from such natural
resources as coffee and cotton to production based on human intellect and
ingenuity.
Japan, for example, has no natural resources: no oil, no diamonds, no other
rich mineral deposits. Yet it has the world's second largest economy. Japan
earns much more than such oil-rich countries as Saudi Arabia because its
products are based on human intellect.
When it comes to earning foreign capital, products of the brain are much more
valuable than natural products or stones in the ground. But you cannot achieve
what Japan has achieved unless you educate your population.
We are lucky in Uganda. Our stones will remain in the ground until we have
become better placed to develop the needed human resources to mine and
profitably use them. We must, however, pay our scientists world-class wages so
that we retain the true value of our stones rather than exporting them to the
North.
I have been having a big problem with my administration here. I am always
having to fight. The civil service recently introduced the 'single spine'
structure. This basically means the permanent secretary, because he is the
senior administrator, earns the most and the structure runs down the hierarchy
to the scientist who
earns the least.
I have no problem with this structure but the scientist must be on top
because he or she is the one who produces something. I intend to cause a
revolution by generously supporting scientists. Scientists must be paid well to
remain at home. I am going to ensure this happens in Uganda. It is a big
struggle but I have always fought such battles.
Ugandans living abroad collectively earn US$700 million. Some 100,000
Ugandans live in Canada and the United States alone. These emigrants are not
peasants. They are doctors, engineers, scientists. They prefer to remain abroad
because they are paid better there. Some of our people work for the US National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), helping Americans go to the moon.
Meanwhile, we in Uganda cannot even get to another town, never mind the moon.
This is madness.
Scientists must be paid more than everybody else. They must be paid
world-class wages in Africa. It does not matter if the president does not have
the highest salary. Let the scientists earn the most even if I, as president,
receive much less. The scientist will not get a 21-gun salute, but the president
is a big man and will get it.
If you give scientists money, administrators, in time, will also get
something. Once scientists have solved a number of problems for us, then
administrators will ultimately be paid well too. If we kill the goose that lays
the golden egg, however, how can we ever move forward? Let us start by
supporting scientists. This is my struggle. - Yoweri Museveni, President
Uganda.
More information:
Article courtesy of the TWAS Newsletter, Vol. 16 No. 3/4, 2004. Atricle
extracted from the opening speech of a conference for African ministers of
finance, planning and economic development. 18 May 2004 Kampala, Uganda.
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