By Gloria Nakiyimba
The first batch of 80 youth has been flagged off for industrial jobs by Operation Wealth Creation boss Lieutenant General Charles Angina.
The youth will be working at the new Good will Ceramics industry at the Kapeeka Industrial park in Namunkekera village in Luweero.
Lt. Angina says this is in fulfillment of the ongoing government efforts to create job opportunities to address unemployment among youth which currently stands at 80%.
“Character, commitment and discipline will enable you retain the job” he counseled the youth.
He urged them to resist stealing, respect their employers and supervisors as they take on different jobs.
Lt.Gen Angina revealed that recruitment of more youth to work in different industries is still going on.
The youth will be employed in upcoming industries in Tororo and Luweero.
In a bid to create wealth, and jobs, Operation Wealth Creation department will start training youth with skills required in the job market.
Good Will Ceramics administrative department manager Zhou Yu says local production of ceramics will drastically reduce cost of importing the product from Europe and China.
“The first production of ceramic tiles is expected within the next ten days” he told the media in Kampala on Thursday.
According to Zhou Yu, 90% of the raw materials used in manufacture of ceramics is sand from Uganda while 10% of raw materials is imported from China.
He noted that employees will be paid between 600-8000 shillings for a start, as the group undergoes training but added that they are working on the salary scales.
Every worker will receive a bonus depending on their performance. In addition Good Will Ceramics will offer accommodation and two meals for each shift.
Major Rubaramira Ruranga advised the group to avoid living a reckless life that can lead them to getting HIV/AIDS.
“If you want to be productive, know your HIV status, if positive start taking drugs. There is also Hepatitis B which is acquired in the same way as HIV, so you have to be careful” he counseled the group.
When asked to comment on the impact of sand mining on the environment, Lt. Gen Angina said “those against sand mining are ignorant of what the world has done using resources to create wealth”.
Gen. Angina said many countries in the first world were industrialized by tapping into their natural resources.
He said it was wrong for the Wakiso district chairman LC5 Matiya Lwanga Bwanika to oppose the sand mining which he noted was not only unique to Uganda.
He gave an example of the USA which he said exports 3.3 million tons of sand annually, and China which exports more than 200 million tons of sand, while Egypt is the leading exporter of sand in Africa.